agu ely ▁described ▁in ▁most ▁ed itions ▁of ▁the ▁game , ▁and ▁what ▁details ▁are ▁provided ▁change ▁from ▁version ▁to ▁version : ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁two ▁ed itions ▁place ▁a ▁first ▁nuclear ▁war ▁near ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 1 st ▁century , ▁with ▁the ▁final ▁war ▁in ▁the ▁years ▁AD ▁ 2 3 0 9 - 2 3 2 2 , ▁and ▁as cribe ▁the ▁final ▁anni h ilation ▁to ▁a ▁terror ist ▁group ▁called ▁" The ▁Ap ocal yp se " ▁and ▁the ▁en su ing ▁ret ali ation ▁by ▁surv iving ▁fa ctions . ▁ ▁Later ▁versions ▁would ▁rad ically ▁alter ▁the ▁reason ▁for ▁the ▁collapse . ▁ ▁The ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁Altern ity ▁version ▁is ▁due ▁to ▁al ien ▁arrival ▁and ▁nuclear ▁response . ▁ ▁The ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁d 2 0 ▁Modern ▁iteration ▁is ▁due ▁to ▁r amp ant ▁use ▁of ▁nan ote chn ology ▁and ▁A I . ▁ ▁The ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁edition ▁introdu ces ▁a ▁hum orous ▁and ▁rad ically ▁different ▁back story ▁that ▁attributes ▁the ▁destruction ▁of ▁civil ization ▁to ▁the ▁activation ▁of ▁the ▁Lar ge ▁Had ron ▁Coll ider , ▁which ▁caused ▁multiple ▁real ities ▁to ▁exchange ▁features ▁in ▁an ▁event ▁known ▁as ▁" The ▁Big ▁M ist ake ". ▁All ▁ed itions , ▁however , ▁agree ▁that ▁the ▁c ata c ly sm ▁destroyed ▁all ▁government ▁and ▁society ▁beyond ▁a ▁village ▁scale , ▁pl ung ing ▁the ▁world ▁into ▁a ▁Dark ▁Age . ▁In ▁many