Ben Affleck admits he trash-talks kids he’s never met while playing Fortnite

He has two Academy Awards, a celebrated directing career, and played Batman on the silver screen—but online, Ben Affleck is just another frustrated gamer getting mercilessly humbled by pre-teens.

The 54-year-old Hollywood star has admitted that his gaming habits frequently spiral into foul-mouthed voice-chat arguments with middle-schoolers while dropping into multiplayer lobbies on Fortnite.

Opening up about his digital downtime on the New Heights podcast alongside NFL brothers Jason and Travis Kelce, Affleck confessed that he logged into the popular battle royale convinced his background in first-person shooters would give him a competitive edge.

Instead, he discovered that 12-year-olds armed with lightning reflexes and no filter repeatedly eliminate him within seconds.

"I always play games," Affleck explained. "I play first-person shooter games, so I think I'm good and s***, and then you get on and 12-year-olds just f*** you up. I try to come out and I'm like, 'Here I come.' I get killed right away, and then they taunt you, like, 'You suck. F*** you!'"

Ben Affleck revealed exactly how young Fortnite players manage to roast him online (New Heights Podcast /Youtube)

The Good Will Hunting star admitted that the humiliating defeats quickly turn personal, descending into full-blown shouting matches through his gaming headset—with the anonymous kids having no idea they are trading insults with an A-list movie star.

"I end up getting in arguments: 'F*** you! I don't suck! I'm a grown man!'" Affleck laughed.

The actor's passion for competitive gaming has long been documented among fans. An avid player of Riot Games' tactical shooter Valorant, Affleck—who mains the robotic agent KAY/O—has previously been spotted attending premier esports tournaments and watch parties with his 14-year-old son, Samuel.

However, the father of three drew the line at the bizarre economics of modern digital storefronts.

Affleck recalled his sheer disbelief when Samuel asked for rare Fortnite character skins for Christmas, only for the actor to discover the cosmetic items carried astronomical secondary-market price tags.

"They ain't even real? Just to wear in the game? That's bull--," Affleck quipped, recalling his reaction to discovering the high price of virtual cosmetics.

Even so, the actor conceded that the surreal visual aesthetic of modern video games has influenced his creative work behind the camera.

Affleck revealed that his son's fascination with oddball Fortnite character outfits directly inspired some of the bizarre, unsettling costume designs—including an eerie bunny mask worn by a kidnapper—in his thriller Animals.