Remember Syrian Dictator Bashar Al-Assad? His Current Hobby Is Wildly Unexpected

Bashar al-Assad's activities in exile in Russia are probably the last thing you'd ever expect.

As OutKick readers know, I've always had a wild fascination with the Syrian Civil War and the events that unfolded. It was arguably the most bloody and violent battlefield in the world post-Vietnam War.

The only difference was that the entire country was out of control and ruled by too many different factions to count. You had Assad's government, the terrorists, the "moderate" rebels, the Kurds, Hezbollah, Iran, Russia, Turkey, Israel, the United States of America, ISIS (worth their own mention measured against other terrorists) and plenty of other players either holding territory or carrying out strikes.

Assad, who was supposed to be a reformer, cracked down with an iron fist when protests started rising up. The result was catastrophic. The true death toll isn't known, but it's believed a minimum of 500,000 people were killed. Assad finally fell when HTS — a terrorist group — pulled off a successful lightning blitz on Damascus. Assad was whisked away to Russia in December 2024, where little has been known about his life.

Until now.

Bashar al-Assad ruled Syria with an iron fist before fleeing after HTS pulled off his overthrow in violent fashion. (Photo credit should read LOUAI BESHARA/AFP via Getty Images)

Bashar al-Assad spends time doing unexpected activity in exile.

The German outlet Die Zeit published a very lengthy and in-depth look at Assad's life in Russia, and it's made clear he's still living in Russia. It's believed Assad had billions of dollars held out of Syria, and it's well-documented he owned multiple properties in Russia. None of that is surprising.

What is surprising is that the man who oversaw the destruction of his country has apparently indulged in a very unexpected hobby:

Video games.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is reportedly a big gamer. (Photo by JOSEPH EID/AFP via Getty Images)

The outlet reported that the brutal dictator now spends his time playing online video games. He went from being a moderate Middle Eastern ruler (by Western standards, of course), to a violent and horrific dictator during the Civil War……..to a man who spends his time gaming.

Imagine getting in a "Call of Duty" lobby and hearing Bashar al-Assad on a headpiece talking trash to you. If you asked me what Assad was doing in Russia with his free time, never in a million years would I have guessed playing video games.

What games does he play? What does a former murderous dictator who fled for his life to Russia decide to fire up when it's time to game?

Is he a war game kind of guy? Sports video games? Does he have the latest version of the college football video game series?

On one hand, it's hilarious that Assad went from being one of the most critical figures on the planet in terms of destruction caused to being a gamer. On the other hand, it's also downright pathetic.

Of course, I'm not sure we should be surprised. This is the same guy whose hacked emails revealed he was sending his wife, Asma, Blake Shelton lyrics as his forces carried out atrocities.

Bashar Al-Assad oversaw a brutal and horrific civil war in Syria. (Photo by Carlos Alvarez/Newsmakers)

On a more serious note, I hope there's a great documentary series made some day about Assad's rule in Syria, the collapse of his government, the war and his final hours in power. There's a great story to be told there, but it's unlikely we ever know the full truth. Syria simply became too much of a blackhole to ever get the full picture. A complete and total tragedy against a great people with deep historic ties to the region. Let me know what you think at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.