I used to be a Matt Damon guy, but the older I get, the more I find myself in Ben Affleck’s corner. I’m not really sure why—maybe it was the purportedly-drunken (and very funny) Armageddon DVD commentary, maybe it was the existential crisis he appeared to very suddenly and quietly suffer during a Justice League presser—but whatever it is, his recent appearance at the Valorant Champions 2023 event pretty well sealed the deal for me.
As noted by Dexerto, Affleck took his son to the event, where the two of them encountered Shannon Williams, who provides the voice of the Valorant character Jett. When Affleck’s son told Williams that his dad could be a Jett main, Ben interjected, “Yeah, but then they nerfed Jett, that’s the problem.”
Thanks for the reminder 🫠 Love that for me @VALORANT pic.twitter.com/r8k3DWU5MhAugust 27, 2023
It’s not a bluff: Jett did indeed get nerfed pretty heavily in the August 29 Valorant patch. Her Tailwind ability, which enables her to rapidly dash forward, now takes longer to activate and expires more quickly; her Cloudburst duration has also been decreased, her Updraft charges have been reduced from two to one, and the cost of her Blade Storm ultimate has been raised. Riot said the changes were made to increase the “intentionality of her ability usage,” while downgrading her ability to escape the consequences of mistakes and misplays.
It’s possible that Affleck just picked up a few talking points from his kid while they worked their way through the line, but it seems unlikely to me that a crash course in Valorant patch notes would lead to that sort of topical, relevant comment being dropped at just the right time, to just the right person. No, Affleck’s burgeoning Valorant fandom has all the signs of a dad going the extra mile to enjoy their kid’s hobby, and it rules.
All doubt about Affleck’s Valorant cred seemed to be erased by a separate interview in which he said he mains both KAY/O and Raze.
Ben Affleck at the #VALORANTChampions. pic.twitter.com/oaLWXtB1LYAugust 27, 2023
“I’m a KAY/O main right now,” Affleck said. “And Raze, too, I think Raze is like, my other main. I’m little promiscuous with who I main, you know what I mean? I move around a little bit.”
I know what you mean, Ben. Picking a main is tough sometimes, especially when you’re not in it to be the best. (And I’m too old for that.) He also took some time to hang out with some other Valorant folks on the scene:
Ben Affleck at #VALORANTChampions today. pic.twitter.com/KcAjhXrGUNAugust 27, 2023
It’s quite a contrast to the reception received by Twitter owner Elon Musk, whose appearance at Valorant Champions 2023 was roundly booed by attendees. But as far as I know, Affleck’s attendance wasn’t announced to a presumably (whoops!) adoring crowd—he just showed up and bought his kid a shirt.
Ben Affleck spotted at VALORANT Champions. pic.twitter.com/Sgwk9YeA4bAugust 26, 2023