A developer behind the Call of Duty (CoD) series of titles has defended the impact of video games on young people.

Pete Actipis says producers like him are “not here to dictate anything other than a way for a player to have fun and be entertained.”

It follows criticism from former England manager Sir Gareth Southgate, who said he feared young people would “fall into unhealthy alternatives like games.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

CoD creator Pete thinks that gaming is not responsible for influencing young players as negatively as any of their other interests.

“Games have a place with everything else,” he says.

“It depends on what you’re looking for and how you handle the neutrality of it, how you handle its meaning in your life.

“From there it’s a kind of personal journey.”

He denied that the CoD series had a responsibility to educate young gamers about violence.

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

‘Double-edged sword’

CoD player Rice tells Newsbeat that while he accepts that abusive behaviour can occur, playing doesn’t necessarily have a negative impact on male gamers.

“People look at someone who plays for eight hours and think, ‘He’s not really doing that much.’”

“But he could be preparing for a tournament.

“That’s worth a month’s salary, maybe a year’s salary for some people.

“It’s a double-edged sword,” he says.

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

“I had a stalker,” she says.

“I would block his account, he would make new accounts, and he would repurchase the game [CoD], and he would constantly try to find me in it.”

Abi also says that other male gamers have said “demeaning things” to her.

“About sexual harassment, about rape, the ‘go back to the kitchen’ stereotype.”

“It’s really damaging to your mental health.

“We’re shamed, bullied about our appearance, bullied about whether you’re in a relationship or not.

“They just choose to get everything about you, but women do it to women,” she says.

Despite the abuse and bullying, Abi says she “doesn’t hold back” because of the positive impact gaming has had on her life.

“I met all my friends online.

“I made friends, it brought my family closer, I met my partner through playing.”

And CoD developer Pete Actipis says its positive impact on players has reached new heights during the Covid lockdowns.

“People were stuck at home,” he says.

“[The game] was a really social experience. A lot of memories were made, a lot of friendships were made, online.”

That period in the series’ history brings players back together in 2025.

An update to Call of Duty: Warzone has revived a fan favorite — a map called Verdansk, based in Ukraine, where people from all over the world can play with each other online.

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

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

“I built relationships with people I now consider good friends.

“It was a really strange and amazing experience.”