Steven Spielberg’s Love for Call of Duty isn’t Surprising After He Literally Inspired the Franchise to Spawn at First Place

October 12

Steven Spielberg, the legendary filmmaker behind blockbusters that require no introduction, has a secret passion that might surprise some of his fans: he’s an avid gamer. But not just any gamer—Spielberg is a true PC Master Race loyalist with a particular fondness for first-person shooters, especially Call of Duty.

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Truly a living legend. | Image Credit: Elena Ternovaja/CC BY-SA 3.0/Wikimedia Commons

But, what many don’t realize is that Spielberg’s connection to the gaming world runs much deeper than just being a fan. His influence on the industry, particularly in the genre of war games, is far more significant than most people know.

In fact, it’s not an exaggeration to say that without Spielberg, the FPS gaming scene as we know it today might look very different.

Steven Spielberg’s Gaming Legacy

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The pioneer of war games as we know it. | Image Credit: DreamWorks Interactive/EA

When Spielberg released Saving Private Ryan in 1998, he didn’t just create a cinematic masterpiece—he also sparked an idea that would revolutionize the gaming industry. Carrying over the film’s gritty portrayal of World War II, Spielberg, through DreamWorks Interactive, set out to create a game that would capture the same intensity and realism.

The result was Medal of Honor, a game that would set new standards for first-person shooters and war games.

Medal of Honor wasn’t just a commercial success; it was a game-changer (pun intended). Its attention to historical detail, immersive gameplay, and cinematic approach to storytelling raised the bar for what players could expect from a video game.

But perhaps more importantly, it inspired a new generation of game developers—including some who would go on to create one of the biggest gaming franchises of all time.

The Call of Duty Connection

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Promotional artwork for the first-ever Call of Duty (2003). | Image Credit: Treyarch

It’s no coincidence that Spielberg is a fan of Call of Duty. The franchise, which has become a cultural phenomenon, owes a significant debt to Medal of Honor and, by extension, to Spielberg himself.

In fact, Jason West and Vince Zampella, two key figures behind the creation of Call of Duty, cut their teeth working on Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, the third entry in the series and the last one that Spielberg had a direct hand in writing.

The influence is clear when you compare the early Call of Duty games with Medal of Honor. The attention to historical accuracy, the intense, cinematic set pieces, and the focus on telling personal stories within the larger context of war—all these elements can be traced back to Spielberg’s original vision for the series.

Today, he remains a dedicated gamer, sticking true to his PC roots. As his son Max Spielberg revealed in a recent interview, the director still prefers keyboard and mouse controls, even if it means missing out on popular titles like Uncharted. It’s a quirk that speaks to the legendary filmmaker’s lifelong love of gaming and his ties to the industry he helped shape.

While Medal of Honor may have faded from the spotlight, its legacy lives on in the games it inspired. And for Spielberg, who continues to enjoy the fruits of his labor every time he boots up a new Call of Duty campaign, it’s a reminder of the unexpected ways in which his creative vision has shaped not just cinema, but interactive entertainment as well.

So the next time you’re playing through a Call of Duty campaign, remember: you’re not just playing a game. You’re experiencing a piece of interactive entertainment with its roots in the vision of one of Hollywood’s greatest storytellers.

Who knows? Maybe one day we’ll see Spielberg return to the world of game development and show us all how it’s really done.

What do you think about Spielberg’s influence on the gaming industry? Are there other filmmakers you’d like to see try their hand at game development? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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