Al Pacino leaves Game Awards 2022 crowd in hysterics with bold video game claim

Al Pacino left the Game Awards crowd in hysterics following a surprise appearance at the ceremony.

The Hollywood star of films including The Godfather, Dog Day Afternoon and Scarface was an unexpected presence at the event on Thursday (8 December).

After Pacino was introduced to the stage by host Geoff Keighley, audience members appeared to be in shock that the Oscar-winner had shown up to the ceremony, which is essentially the Academy Awards for video games.

“It’s really good to see you here,” Pacino, 82, said after arriving on the stage, adding: “This is an experience for me.”

At this, the crowd laughed, with Pacino continuing: “[It’s] one I didn’t expect, so here I am, as usual doing surprising things for myself.”

But Pacino admitted he was struggling to see the autocue, stating: “Anyway, it may come as a shock to you but I... It’s hard for me to see the teleprompter.”

Finishing his sentence, Pacino made a bold claim while stood in front of a roomful of famous figures from the world of video games.

“In truth, I don't play a whole lot of video games,” he said, adding: “However, I have spent a lot of time watching my kids play them.”

Pacino then gave the Best Performance of the Year award to Christopher Judge for God of War Ragnarok who, before delivering his speech, tapped the actor on the shoulder and hugged him.

The moment was praised by viewers, with video game editor, writer and consultant Arthur Gies calling it “f***ing amazing”.

Pacino will next be seen in the second season of Prime Video series Hunters, which is scheduled for release on 13 January.

In 2019, the actor starred in The Irishman, a gangster epic that marked his first time working with director Martin Scorsese.

While promoting the film, Pacino told The Independent that he would consider appearing in a film adaptation of Michael Mann’s novel Heat 2, which focuses on the younger version of characters played by him and Robert De Niro in the 1995 film.

To do this, Pacino said he could “go younger” using the de-ageing technology currently being deployed in Hollywood to make older actors look like their younger selves. The next high-profile film to do this will be Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which will see Harrison Ford return as the adventurer.

While Ford will play the role in the present day, a flashback sequence saw the actor shoot new scenes as a younger version of the character. The film will be released on 30 June 2023.