‘Call of Duty’ Movie Director, Peter Berg, Blasted Gamers Before Landing the Gig

Peter Berg is now set to direct the upcoming Call of Duty movie, but old comments he made about gamers are suddenly getting attention again.

According to an interview he gave to Esquire back in 2013, Berg had a very strong opinion about people who play war video games. At the time, he was promoting his film work and talking about culture in general. When asked about games like Call of Duty, he did not hold back. “Pathetic. Pathetic. Keyboard courage. Can’t stand it,” he said.

He went even further, saying he only understood it in one specific case. “The only people that I give a Call of Duty get-out-of-jail-free card to is the military,” he explained, adding that he did not approve of younger players. “Kids? Uh-uh.”

During the same interview, he was asked if real soldiers play these games. His answer was direct. “Some of them do. But I tell them I think it’s pathetic,” he said. He also criticized spending long hours gaming, saying, “I think anyone that sits around playing video games for four hours… It’s weak. Get out, do something.”

These comments are over a decade old, but they are now being shared again as Berg prepares to work on one of the biggest video game adaptations. The project is being developed by Paramount Pictures and Activision, and it is expected to be a major release.

At a recent CinemaCon event, Berg briefly spoke about the film. He said he is working on it with writer Taylor Sheridan and wants to focus on realism. “Taylor and I are both deeply connected to the special ops community,” he said, adding that the goal is to show the experience of soldiers in a real way while still delivering large-scale action.

Details about the movie are still limited. The story, characters, and setting have not been revealed yet. It is also unclear whether it will connect to any specific version of the game series or tell a completely new story.

For now, the biggest talking point is the contrast between Berg’s past comments and his current role. With the movie still years away, there is plenty of time for him to address those old statements, especially as fans continue to bring them up.

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