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The word has also been used to name stars and appears in multiple popular culture references. See the sources for this fact-check Ever since it was discovered, people have continued to use the new COVID-19 omicron variant to make false claims about the pandemic. Some claimed its name was evidence that the whole thing was planned, while others spread a photoshopped poster for a non-existent film called \"The Omicron Variant.\" Now, social media posts claim that Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates created a video game named — you guessed it — \"Omikron\" back in 1999. \"DID YOU KNOW?\" text on a Facebook post graphic asks. \"Omikron was the name of a 1999 video game by Microsoft and Bill Gates about demons pretending to be humans and harvesting their souls.\" One video circulating online fuels conspiracy theories further as it shows the game’s anti-government plot featuring a digitally illustrated David Bowie-like character. The game is real and was available to play on Microsoft Windows computers in November 1999, but it wasn’t developed by Microsoft or Gates. The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.) \"Omikron: The Nomad Soul\" was created by Quantic Dream, a French developer based in Paris founded by a man named David Cage. Bowie made the music for the game, and the game features a character who shares Bowie’s voice and appearance. It was released on Sega’s home video game console Dreamcast in 2000, and it’s still available today on Steam, a video game digital distribution service. #### Featured Fact-check ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/322c808c00e73c217d17772ddd5a0eb5.jpg\\") ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/8b142c91ebe468a84a192e6df2b7b994.jpg\\") Instagram posts stated on August 13, 2024 in an Instagram post Videos of media talking about Tim Walz as a \"happy warrior\" are proof of government propaganda legalized by Barack Obama. ![\\"true\\"](\\" false/33efdb6633e5e2fdc2d4e2f63383a1e0.jpg.\\") ![\\"false\\"](\\" false.jpg\\") By Jeff Cercone • August 15, 2024 The adventure game follows players as their souls enter the futuristic city of Omikron, located in an alternate dimension. Players explore the world while fighting off demons who try to trap their souls. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation told PolitiFact that the claims about Gates and the game are false, and a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed that neither the company nor Gates developed the game. Meanwhile, the new coronavirus variant’s name of omicron follows an established pattern of naming variants after letters in the Greek alphabet. The first four variants of concern identified by the World Health Organization — alpha, beta, gamma and delta — are all Greek letters. \"These labels were chosen after wide consultation and review of many potential naming systems,\" the WHO said when it announced it would use the Greek alphabet to name variants. The organization said it convened \"an expert group of partners from around the world to do so, including experts who are part of existing naming systems, nomenclature and virus taxonomic experts, researchers and national authorities.\" It’s not unreasonable to see why writers would pick the word omicron for futuristic popular culture references as it’s been used by astronomers for years to name multiple stars, like Omicron Persei and Omicron Centauri. The aliens in the animated show \"Futurama,\" for example, are from a planet called Omicron Persei 8. Our ruling Social media posts claim Microsoft and Bill Gates created a 1999 video game called \"Omikron.\" This is wrong. A real game called Omikron was available on Microsoft in 1999, but neither Gates nor Microsoft created it, and it had nothing to do with the COVID-19 pandemic, as these posts suggest. The term omicron is from the Greek alphabet, which has been used by health officials to name coronavirus variants. The word has also been used to name stars and appears in multiple popular culture references. We rate this False. #### Read About Our Process The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter ### Our Sources Facebook post, Dec. 4, 2021 Twitter post, Nov. 30, 2021 IGN, Omikron: the Nomad Soul, July 5, 2000 Steam, Omikron, Accessed Dec. 16, 2021 PolitiFact, The new coronavirus variant is named for a letter in the Greek alphabet, Nov. 30, 2021 World Health Organization, WHO announces simple, easy-to-say labels for SARS- CoV-2 Variants of Interest and Concern, May 31, 2021 Omicron stars, Accessed Dec. 16, 2021 Email interview, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Dec. 16, 2021 Email interview, Microsoft media department, Dec. 16, 2021 ## Browse the Truth-O-Meter ### More by Samantha Putterman ![](\\" ![](\\" Kamala Harris stated on August 28, 2024 in an ad: Project 2025 would defund K-12 schools. ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Samantha Putterman • September 6, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Elizabeth Warren stated on August 25, 2024 in an interview: “JD Vance actually sent a letter last year to the Department of Justice saying, ‘enforce the Comstock Act.’” ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By Samantha Putterman • August 30, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Ron DeSantis stated on August 28, 2024 in a press conference: The proposal to put golf courses, hotels in Florida state parks “was something that was leaked. … a lot of that stuff was half-baked and was not ready for prime time.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Samantha Putterman • August 29, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Rick Scott stated on August 28, 2024 in a post on X: “This month alone, more than 16,000 non-citizens have been removed from the voter rolls in 3 states.” ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Samantha Putterman • August 29, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Debbie Mucarsel-Powell stated on August 7, 2024 in un anuncio de radio de campaña: El senador Rick Scott no apoya las excepciones al aborto. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Marta Campabadal Graus • August 16, 2024 ![](\\" ![](\\" Debbie Mucarsel-Powell stated on August 7, 2024 in an ad: Sen. 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Microsoft and Bill Gates created a 1999 video game called Omikron