To help you know what is being talked about during a live broadcast in the future, here is an overview of the most common expressions used in eSports.
Common expressions and abbreviations:
ADR | Abbreviation for "average damage per round", refers to the average damage a gamer does per game round |
Aimbot | Illegal software, mainly used in shooters, that assists the player in aiming or does it for him completely. |
All In | Describes - similar to poker - the tactic of overrunning one's opponent(s) with everything at one's disposal. |
apm | Means "actions per minute" and refers to the number of input actions per minute that a player creates during a game with the help of mouse and keyboard or a gamepad. |
Area of Effect | Area in which so-called area spells or attacks take effect - is also abbreviated AE |
Assist | assistance provided by another player in shooting down an opponent |
Autoaim | see Aimbot |
bm | Abbreviation for "bad manners" - indicates the unsportsmanlike behavior of a gamer |
Boon | Reverse for "noob", disrespectful term for a novice gamer |
Buff | Increase of certain character traits, for example by the spell of a fellow player. Usually applies only for a short time and increases the protection properties, the damage that can be dealt or the critical hitpoints. |
bunny-hopper | A player who moves almost exclusively by jumping like a rabbit, making him harder to hit. This technique is often used in battle royal games like Fortnite or PUBG. |
Camper | Gamer in first-person shooters who usually takes up a tactically favorable position on a map and waits there until he can take out opponents |
Caster | eSports commentator |
Cheater | Gamer who, for example, uses an "aimbot" to gain an advantage over all other players |
Clan | Team in eSports |
clutch | Situation in first-person shooters in which the last player of a team still faces several opponents and defeats them |
creep | Destroying neutral units in a multiplayer online battle arena game (MOBA) so that one's own character levels up by one or more levels. |
CTF | Capture the Flag" game mode in first-person shooters |
Damagedealer | Character that often deals high damage in conjunction with other characters, but takes little damage itself. Also called "dd |
Deathmatch | Well-known multiplayer variant in first-person shooters, in which the players are not permanently eliminated after a virtual death, but are revived on another point of the map. Each kill gives points - the winner is the team with the highest score. |
debuff | Counterpart to "buff" - reduces the character traits of an opponent or a team, e.g. by casting a spell. |
Default Win | Victory by not entering the opponent's team. Also abbreviated to "defwin |
disconnect | The unintentional disconnection of the Internet or network connection during a game. This removes the gamer from the game in progress. Also abbreviated as "disco |
dps | "damage per second" maximum damage a character can cause per second |
Drop | A player drops a weapon or item for a teammate to support them. Is also called "dropping |
Dropshot | Shooting from a crouching or prone position in a first-person shooter. |
Early Game | Early game phase in a real-time strategy game such as StarCraft. During this time the opposing parties build their bases and start the production of their resources and first military units. Also called "Early" for short |
Ep | Experience points. Also abbreviated "exp" or "xp". |
Equip | The equipment used in the various eSports titles. |
Ff | Abbreviation for "forfeit" and thus task of a team. Is mainly used in strategy games, because here the command "ff" leads to the task. |
flamen | The unsportsmanlike and sometimes disgusting belittling of an opposing player. |
flawless victory | Flawless victory in an eSports game, for example without the death of a team member in CS:GO. |
Ask | Elimination of an enemy player |
Freeze | Freezing the image during a game or broadcast |
| FNR | For no Reason (This abbreviation is often used in Fortnite) |
gg | "good game" or well played - praise from teammate or opponent |
Ghosting | The mutual revealing of the positions of one's own teammates to a teammate on the other team |
gj | "goodjob" or good work - recognition for a move, etc. A similar meaning is given to "gw" - "good work". |
gl | "goodluck" or "good luck |
gratz | Abbreviation for "congratulations" and also appreciative words from a teammate or opponent congratulating success. Also sometimes abbreviated "gz |
| gz | Abbreviation for "congratulations" and also appreciative words from a teammate or opponent congratulating success. Also sometimes abbreviated "gratz |
Headglitch | The moment when the head is seen over an edge in a first-person or tactical shooter. |
Headshot | The headshot in a first-person shooter. Also called "headie" or "header". |
heal | Options of a player to heal himself through objects or game situations |
hf | Abbreviation for "have fun" or in German "viel Spaß". |
Hitbox | The hit area of an opponent in a first-person shooter or beat 'em up game like Tekken or Virtual Fighter |
HP | Abbreviation of "hit points" or "health points", the points a character can take before dying |
IGL | "In-game leader" i.e. the player who sets the tactics during the game (Fortnite) |
Inc | The English abbreviation for "incoming" - signal to the other players that the opposing team is approaching your own base |
inv | Short for "inventory" - the game inventory where the player places his items |
invade | Stands for the attempt of a team to enter and move undetected into enemy territory |
Kill/Ratio | The ratio between kills and a player's own death in a first-person shooter - also "kill death ratio" or "k/d" ratio. |
Crit | Refers to a "critical hit" in a MOBA, among other things. So an attack that causes a much higher damage than normal. Also called "kriten" or "kritten". |
level up | The improvement or leveling up of a character in a MOBA. |
Lowlife | A player who has only a small amount of life force left |
Lucker | Disparaging term for a gamer who has had a lot of luck |
lv/lvl | Abbreviation for "level |
lvlup! | Short form for "level up". This is the way a gamer tells his teammates that he has moved up a level. |
Map | Denotes a map, i.e. the battle area where the teams meet |
knife | Stands for the elimination of an enemy player in a first-person shooter with the help of a knife. |
Mod | An abbreviation for modification |
n1 | Short for "nice" or "nice one" - Appreciative remark for a good move or kill |
Newbie | Friendly term for a game newbie |
Noob | Opposite of "newbie" - the derogatory term for a newcomer to the game |
NPC/NPCs | "Non Player Character(s)" are game characters that are controlled by the AI and not by a human player |
ns | The short form of "nice shot |
oom | Short for the English "out of mana". A player informs his teammates that he has no mana left and therefore cannot cast any spells. |
overpowered | Units or equipment that have a greater strength than normal. Alternative also called "op" or "ovp |
own | Used to describe a team that is significantly better than its opponent. Can also be found as "owned" or "ownage". |
pG | Abbreviation for a Professional Gamer. Alternatively also called "pro |
quitter | Indicates a player who consciously or unconsciously quits a running game |
rage quit | Gamer who quits a running game because he thinks he lost a game undeservedly. Alternatively, there is also the term "rage plug". |
respawn | The resurrection of a player who has already been killed. This can happen at a selectable point on a map, as well as at a random location. |
Real Life | The real life outside the virtual world |
RR | Abbreviation of "round restart". This is used to announce the start of a new game round, especially in tactical shooters. |
RTS | Abbreviation of "Real-Time-Strategy", i.e. real-time strategy games like StarCraft. |
rushen | Describes the tactic of a team to overrun its opponents with all its might - this strategy is also called "Rush". |
scopen | The use of the sniper rifle in a first-person shooter - also called "scope" in the short form |
scout | Finding out the enemy tactics and strength by sacrificing own weak units. Ideally, one's own strategy is adapted to this information. Alternatively also called "scouting |
sniping | see "scopen". Another short form is "sniper |
Stats | The score statistics of a gamer |
Penalty | In a first-person shooter, refers to moving sideways. In combination with a jump also called "penalty jump |
stun | The taking out or stunning of a unit or character. |
TD | The abbreviation for the game mode "Team Deathmatch" - another abbreviation is also "TDM". |
Trade | The simultaneous generation of damage between two players in a MOBA |
Train | The simple short form of "Training |
Wallfrag | Taking out an enemy in a shooter by shooting through the wall - without having seen the enemy first. Also called "wallkill" or "wallbang |
Wallhack | Illegal cheat in first-person shooters that allows the player to look through closed walls. |
Most of the above terms are from the top eSports games such as. League of Legends, Dota 2, StarCraft or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. In the very fast growing world of eSports, new terms and abbreviations are constantly appearing, especially due to new games, new terms and abbreviations are constantly being added.
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