Gaming Abbreviations: The most important terms and abbreviations in eSports.

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

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

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.