‘Animals’ Star Ben Affleck (54) Says Kids Keep Roasting Him in Shooter Games, and He Fires Back

Hollywood stars aren’t immune to the humbling world of online gaming, and Ben Affleck is proof. The 2-time Oscar winner has long been open about his love of video games, from attending the Valorant Champions tournament in Los Angeles with his son back in 2023 to weighing in on the game’s balance changes.

His gaming credentials even crept into his filmography. In ‘Gone Girl’, Affleck’s character can be seen playing Battlefield 3, a small detail that feels a lot more fitting now. Affleck opened up about his gaming habits during an appearance on the New Heights podcast with brothers Jason and Travis Kelce.

He explained that he regularly plays sports titles like Madden and NBA 2K alongside first-person shooters, and that he assumes he’s pretty good at them. That confidence doesn’t always survive contact with younger players. Affleck admitted that 12-year-olds routinely wipe him out the moment he jumps into a match, before taunting him over voice chat.

Rather than muting them, the actor confessed that he ends up arguing right back. “I don’t suck! I’m a grown man!” he recalled shouting during the New Heights conversation, a line that quickly spread across social media.

Ben Affleck says that he gets in a lot of arguments with kids on voice chat when playing shooter games. “They taunt you, like, ‘You suck. Fuck you!’ I end up getting in arguments. ‘Fuck you! I don’t suck! I’m a grown man!’” (via: https://t.co/1P6guU4wRC) https://t.co/dTb1Aby5hO

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 9, 2026

While Affleck plays a range of shooters, Fortnite seems to be the game that humbles him most. He thought his first-person shooter experience would help him hold his own, but he was taken out almost immediately and then mocked by the kids who beat him.

The game is also a family affair. Affleck said his son was obsessed with Fortnite and played it constantly, which is how the actor got pulled in. He also shared a story about his son asking for Fortnite skins for Christmas.

Affleck was shocked to learn that the specific skins cost hundreds of dollars, and he made his disbelief clear that money was being spent on items that aren’t even real. Those pricey skins ended up having an unexpected creative payoff.

Affleck revealed that Fortnite’s skins inspired the costumes in his new Netflix thriller ‘Animals’, including the fuzzy bunny mask, after noticing how random and unusual the designs his son loved were.

‘Animals’ is a political thriller now streaming on Netflix as of October 9. Affleck plays Mark Kimball, a Los Angeles mayoral candidate who receives an ominous phone call, forcing him and his wife Abigail, played by Kerry Washington, to scramble to respond to a threat that could upend their carefully constructed life.

Despite playing a politician, Affleck has said he has no interest in real-world politics after making the film. He noted that it is increasingly easier to win votes by appealing to the worst in people than the best.

Unsurprisingly, the internet had a field day with the story. One fan on social media joked about the idea of screaming at Batman in voice chat without having any clue who was on the other end.

It’s an image that’s hard to shake, especially for an actor who once wore the cape and cowl. Somewhere out there, a group of pre-teens may have unknowingly told the former Dark Knight that he sucks at Fortnite.

GameSpot noted that Affleck isn’t the only public figure with strong opinions about the state of Fortnite, but his blend of honesty and frustration makes him one of the most relatable. For many gamers who have been schooled by younger players, his reaction is painfully familiar.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!