Ben Affleck says he argues with younger Fortnite players and drew inspiration from game’s skins for ‘Animals’
Pop Culture & ArtOctober 11, 20261 min readPhoto: Reuters
Ben Affleck has revealed that playing first-person shooter games sometimes leads to arguments with younger players, while explaining how Fortnite inspired the costumes in his upcoming Netflix thriller, Animals.
Speaking on the New Heights podcast, Affleck discussed the inspiration behind a character in the film who wears a fuzzy bunny mask.
He explained that his son had been showing an interest in Fortnite skins and describing some of them as “tough”, prompting the actor to draw ideas from the game’s unusual designs.
“I thought these costumes are so kind of random and unusual, that’s what I based the costumes on,” said Affleck. “I thought he’d be getting them off games.”
Affleck also spoke about his own gaming habits, revealing that he plays sports titles such as Madden and NBA 2K, alongside first-person shooters.
Although he considers himself a capable player, he acknowledged that younger competitors can quickly outplay him.
“I always play games,” he said. “I play first person shooter games, so I think I’m good, and then 12-year-olds just fk you up. I try to come out and I’m like, ‘Here I come.’ I get killed right away, and then they taunt you, like, ‘You suck. Fk you!’ I end up getting in arguments. ‘F**k you! I don’t suck! I’m a grown man!’”
The actor has previously spoken about his interest in gaming, particularly the tactical shooter Valorant. He has attended several Valorant events with his son and has said that he mains KAY/O, one of the game’s agents.
Affleck also joined esports organisation Sentinels for a watch party last year, discussing his experience with Valorant during the stream.
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