Ben Affleck: Fortnite Skins Inspired Animals Costumes

Ben Affleck says Fortnite skins shaped the costumes in his new Netflix thriller Animals, and that his own matches against younger players tend to end in arguments.

Speaking on the New Heights podcast with Jason and Travis Kelce, Affleck was asked where the film’s costumes came from. One character wears a fuzzy bunny mask, and Affleck traced the look to Fortnite. His son had been taking an interest in the game’s skins and kept calling them “tough”. Affleck joked that he couldn’t see what was tough about a bunny mask, but took the point.

“I thought these costumes are so kind of random and unusual, that’s what I based the costumes on,” he said. “I thought he’d be getting them off games.”

Affleck on losing to 12-year-olds

The conversation then moved to Affleck’s own play. IGN reports that he plays sports games such as Madden and 2K, plus first-person shooters, and assumes he’s good at them. Fortnite, by his account, says otherwise.

He said he thinks he is good at first-person shooters until 12-year-olds “just” wreck him. He described being killed immediately, then taunted in voice chat, and ending up in arguments of his own: “I don’t suck! I’m a grown man!”

According to GameSpot, Affleck also told a story about his son wanting Fortnite skins for Christmas. He was shocked to learn how much the specific skins cost. “They ain’t even real? Just to wear in the game?” he said, calling it nonsense. GameSpot doesn’t give the exact prices he was quoted, so treat the “hundreds of dollars” figure as his own telling.

This isn’t Affleck’s first gaming mention. IGN notes he has been vocal about Valorant, has attended several events with his son, and has said he mains KAY/0. He also joined the Sentinels esports team for a watch party last year.

Where Animals fits

Animals is on Netflix from 9 October. The podcast appearance is part of Affleck’s press run, which has already produced his comments on using AI and his answer on running for office. If you’re in the UAE and wondering about access, we have a guide on where to watch Animals in the UAE.

The claim that a game’s cosmetics fed into a film’s wardrobe rests on Affleck’s own account on the podcast. Neither Netflix nor the film’s costume team has commented in the coverage we found. Fortnite is also running its Fortnitemares event with Five Nights at Freddy’s, so the skins Affleck’s son is keen on are not going away.

Which Fortnite skin inspired the bunny mask in Animals?

Affleck didn’t name one. He said his son’s enthusiasm for Fortnite skins, which he called “tough”, pushed him towards odd, random-looking costumes for the film.

Where did Ben Affleck say this?

On the New Heights podcast, hosted by Jason and Travis Kelce, in an episode released ahead of the film’s 9 October Netflix launch.