Call of Duty maker defends gaming's impact on young men

"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."

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."

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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