Today a case surfaced due to the PSNProfiles listing of a PSN user named wMikkel (don’t click on the link if you don’t want spoilers on the game), who already played through The Order: 1886 and unlocked the trophy for the completion of the game.

The trophy is marked as having been acquired in 4 hours and 52 minutes, and some (including news websites) took it as meaning that the game can be completed in five hours.

That proved to be inaccurate, as the timestamp is not from the beginning of the game, but from the first trophy earned.  wMikkel himself stepped up to clarify things on the PSNProfiles forums, first of all explaining how he got the game:

Usually at the PlayStation office, we get promotional copies prior to release. Theese are also the ones that are sent out to the media.

While he declined to comment on what he thinks about the game, or on its exact duration, he explained that completing it did not require just five hours:

I didn’t get my first trophy at the start of the game, but I can’t say yet how long it took me. But not 5 hours!

Finally, he clarified further, mentioning that he played the game “a lot” before earning that first trophy that kickstarted the timestamp.

To clear things up.
A lot of buzz around my completion of the game.
I played the game a lot before earning my first trophy.

Incidentally, if you’re wondering how long it would take to get the platinum trophy, wMikkel failed to unlock it on his second playthrough.

I tried to get platinum today on my second playtrough. Hopefully I will get it within a few days.

Interestingly, NeoGAF user Verendus, who is well know as a rather knowledgeable industry insider, mentioned that it took him just over ten hours to finish the game:

It took me just over ten hours to finish the game. I’m sure there are some freaks on GAF who’ll manage to do a very quick playthrough, but I imagine most of you normal folks are going to fall along where I did.

Update: Ready at Dawn’s CTO Andrea Pessino also denied the legitimacy of a five hour playthrough on his facebook page (Thanks, Jordi).

Considering that most of the trophies for the game are quite specific, it’s very likely that many players might go on quite a while without unlocking any, in fact user DrUckmann (again, don’t click on the link if you don’t want some serious spoilers… what was Ready at Dawn thinking when they named those trophies?) also finished the game, and didn’t get wMikkel’s first trophy at all.

so the timestamp between the first trophy and the one marking the campaign’s completion definitely isn’t a good indication of The Order: 1886‘s duration.

http://www.dualshockers.com/2015/02/04/early-the-order-1886-player-debunks-rumor-on-five-hour-long-playthrough/

Why make another thread? It is already "debunked" in the other thread.

This needs to be posted everywhere to shut up some of the idiots and trolls out there.

Making more threads will only keep the discussion going, in my opinion, and I don't think this is what the game deserves.

Because even though it gets debunked in other threads (same on Gaf), people only read the headline or the first few posts and then continue the conversation as if it is STILL officially 5 hours long. This thread is to put people straight and to stop all the nonsense. Of course for one reason or another SOME people would like there to be confusion over whether it is or isn't 5 hours long.

I know you are heavily invested in this but I think one thread, which already has "rumor" in the title, should be enough. But that's only my opinion, in your case it obviously isn't enough.

Heavily invested? My God, you really do look through the fat end of a telescope. And no, it isn't enough. This is normal practice and it's why sites are now having follow up threads. If the BBC put out a false report, do you think it would be acceptable to simply edit the original news? You know damn well that's not what they'd do.

the hate this game is getting is unreal kind of reminds me of playstation all stars

I met even playstation fans that hated on playstation all stars

Bah. . If you do most games on the hardest, or at least hard mode the first time around it always adds play time. In most cases, playing on normal is an easy gaming experience that is beaten fast.