A developer behind titles in the Call of Duty (CoD) series has defended the effect of video games on young men.

Pete Actipis says makers like him are “not here to dictate anything other than an outlet for enjoyment and entertainment for a player”.

It follows criticism by former England manager Sir Gareth Southgate, who said he feared young men were “falling into unhealthy alternatives like gaming”.

“Every person can determine what’s right for their situation, for their family,” Pete tells BBC Newsbeat.

“You can look at anything and say it’s a problem,” adds Pete, whose work as designer includes CoD titles such as last year’s Black Ops 6.

“It’s just really about how you use the medium.”

Sir Gareth referenced “gaming, gambling and pornography” when discussing young men in the UK during a speech at the BBC’s annual Richard Dimbleby Lecture in March.

And the subject has since been brought into even sharper focus by hit Netflix drama Adolescence.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the series, which tells the story of a 13-year-old boy accused of murdering a girl from his class, as “really hard to watch”.

CoD designer Pete feels gaming isn’t any more responsible for negatively influencing young players than any of their other interests.

“Gaming has its place with everything else,” he says.

“It depends what you’re looking for and how you handle the moderation of that, how you handle what it means to your life.

“It’s kind of a personal journey from there.”

He also denied the CoD series has a responsibility to educate younger gamers about violence.

Its latest title was rated as suitable for players aged 18 and above by PEGI, which sets age recommendations for games in Europe.

CoD player Rhys tells Newsbeat that while he accepts abusive behaviour can take place, he believes playing games doesn’t necessarily have a negative influence on male players.

“People look at someone playing games for eight hours and think ‘he’s not really doing much’.

“But he might be preparing for a tournament.

“That could be worth a month’s salary, sometimes a yearly salary for some people.

“It’s a double-edged sword,” he says.

Gamer Abi, who plays and streams as AbiCoops, has mixed feelings about her gaming experiences.

“I had a stalker,” she says.

“I’d block his account, he’d make new accounts and actually re-bought the game [CoD] to constantly try and find me in it.”

Abi adds she’s had “derogatory things” said to her by other male players.

“About sexual assault, about rape, the stereotypical ‘go back to the kitchen’.

“It really messes with your mental health.

“We’ll be fat-shamed, bullied about our appearance, bullied about whether you’re in a relationship.

“They will nit-pick everything about you just to get to you but women do it to women as well,” she says.

Despite the abuse and harassment, Abi says she won’t “back down to it” because of the positive impact gaming has had on her life.

“I met all of my friends online.

“I’ve made friendships, it’s brought my family closer together, I met my partner through gaming.”

Call of Duty maker Activision introduced AI-powered voice chat moderation around the release of Black Ops 6, aimed at “proactively identifying toxic behaviour”.

And CoD developer Pete Actipis claims its positive impact on players hit new heights during Covid lockdowns.

“People were stuck in their house,” he says.

“[The game] was actually a very social experience. A lot of memories were formed, a lot of friendships were formed, online.”

That period in the series’ history is virtually bringing players together again in 2025.

An update to Call of Duty: Warzone has revived a fan favourite – a map called Verdansk, based in Ukraine, where people around the world can play each other online.

For Rhys, it brings back memories of bonding with other players during the UK’s tightest Covid restrictions.

“It gave [players] the opportunity to just get to know each other,” Rhys says.

“I built bonds with people I now class as really good friends.

“It’s a really bizarre and amazing experience.”

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