BBC Newsbeat<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n A developer behind titles in the Call of Duty (CoD) series has defended the effect of video games on young men.<\/p>\n Pete Actipis says makers like him are “not here to dictate anything other than an outlet for enjoyment and entertainment for a player”.<\/p>\n It follows criticism by former England manager Sir Gareth Southgate, who said he feared young men were “falling into unhealthy alternatives like gaming”.<\/p>\n “Every person can determine what’s right for their situation, for their family,” Pete tells BBC Newsbeat.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n “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.<\/p>\n “It’s just really about how you use the medium.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Sir Gareth referenced “gaming, gambling and pornography” when discussing young men in the UK<\/a> during a speech at the BBC’s annual Richard Dimbleby Lecture in March.<\/p>\n And the subject has since been brought into even sharper focus by hit Netflix drama Adolescence<\/a>.<\/p>\n 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”<\/a>.<\/p>\n CoD designer Pete feels gaming isn’t any more responsible for negatively influencing young players than any of their other interests.<\/p>\n “Gaming has its place with everything else,” he says.<\/p>\n “It depends what you’re looking for and how you handle the moderation of that, how you handle what it means to your life.<\/p>\n “It’s kind of a personal journey from there.”<\/p>\n He also denied the CoD series has a responsibility to educate younger gamers about violence.<\/p>\n Its latest title was rated as suitable for players aged 18 and above by PEGI, which sets age recommendations for games in Europe.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 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.<\/p>\n “People look at someone playing games for eight hours and think ‘he’s not really doing much’.<\/p>\n “But he might be preparing for a tournament.<\/p>\n “That could be worth a month’s salary, sometimes a yearly salary for some people.<\/p>\n “It’s a double-edged sword,” he says.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gamer Abi, who plays and streams as AbiCoops, has mixed feelings about her gaming experiences.<\/p>\n “I had a stalker,” she says.<\/p>\n “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.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Abi adds she’s had “derogatory things” said to her by other male players.<\/p>\n “About sexual assault, about rape, the stereotypical ‘go back to the kitchen’.<\/p>\n “It really messes with your mental health.<\/p>\n “We’ll be fat-shamed, bullied about our appearance, bullied about whether you’re in a relationship.<\/p>\n “They will nit-pick everything about you just to get to you but women do it to women as well,” she says.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n “I met all of my friends online.<\/p>\n “I’ve made friendships, it’s brought my family closer together, I met my partner through gaming.”<\/p>\n![\"Microsoft](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/8e4d\/live\/30b84e00-0fa9-11f0-ba4a-e504e2ac19f8.png.webp\")
Microsoft Activision Blizzard<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/bbcx\/grey-placeholder.png\")
![\"Microsoft](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/ceb0\/live\/e5a830a0-0fa9-11f0-9f4f-1b858dcfe51a.png.webp\")
Microsoft Activision Blizzard<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n‘Double-edged sword’<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
![\"AbiCoops](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/c590\/live\/bf9d33d0-0fc5-11f0-9f8d-f125b11f3e53.jpg.webp\")
AbiCoops<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/46c5\/live\/690dd710-0fb4-11f0-b234-07dc7691c360.jpg.webp\")
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