Gaming Abbreviations and Acronyms You Need To Know

One way society has devised to distinguish newbies from experts is through language, and the gaming world is no exception. Throwing a few alphabets around will not only help keep the game exciting but also make your quips at the opponent sharper. If you are playing within a team, abbreviations and acronyms allow you to communicate with your teammates seamlessly. Not to mention that your use of these abbreviations offers you a pass into the gamers’ community. So, whether you are a new gamer or a pro looking to dazzle your opponents, this article has enough abbreviations and acronyms to get you started.

Gaming Abbreviations and Acronyms You Need to Know

Undoubtedly, the gaming world moves faster than most people are used to. One thing that adds to the excitement of gaming is the jargon that gets thrown around. As a gamer, you should know abbreviations and acronyms to feel more seated in the industry, more aware, and for total immersion.

In this section, we will break down abbreviations and acronyms commonly used by gamers in the ecosystem.

A. Acronyms and Abbreviations for Strategies and Methods Used in Gaming

The following are popular acronyms and abbreviations that can help determine player strategy across different platforms and gaming titles. They include but are not limited to the following:

RTP – Return to Player means the percentage of a player’s earnings during a game that goes back to them from their initial deposits. According to Sergio Zammit, crypto writer and expert, the best RTP slots detailed here give users the best opportunity to earn a chunk of their money back.
EBGD – Evidence-Based Game Design means games designed to address specific issues based on available data or evidence.
DPS – Damage Per Second is a unit of measure used in gaming for damage output.
DOT – Damage Over Time, i.e., damage applied over a period.
AoE – Area of Effect means where a particular spell or weapon is working.
LOS – Line of Sight means what is visible to a player.
DC – Downloadable Content is a type of game that you download to play.
GDD – Game Design Document is a type of “map” that tells you everything you need to know about a game.
RNG – Randomness, variability, or luck produced by a random number generator.

B. Acronyms and Abbreviations for Popular Games

In the gaming world, some games are known mainly by their acronyms rather than in full. One of the best ways to know if a game is well-known is if gamers only name-drop its abbreviations. Here are some of the most popular game abbreviations:

LoL – League of Legends
Dota2 – Warcraft III: Defense of the Ancients 2
GTA – Grand Theft Auto
CoD – Call of Duty
MK – Mortal Kombat
WoW – World of Warcraft
AC – Assassin’s Creed
FF – Final Fantasy
TES – The Elder Scrolls
ESO – The Elder Scrolls Online
NFS – Need for Speed
AoE – Age of Empires
LOZ – Legend of Zelda
SF – Street Fighter
RE – Resident Evil
D&D/DnD – Dungeons and Dragons
DA – Dragon Age
GoW – Gears of War or God of War

C. Acronyms and Abbreviations for Gaming Genres

Here are some common acronyms and abbreviations for various gaming genres:

MMO/MMOG – This refers to online games in which multiple players can participate at the same time. MMO means Massively Multiplayer Online, and MMOG means Massively Multiplayer Online Game.
MMORPG – This stands for Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game and refers to any type of role-playing video game in which many people can participate simultaneously. In contrast to an MMO/MMOG, an MMORPG has a role-playing element.
RPG – This stands for Role-Playing Game. In this type of game, players assume the roles of fictional characters to immerse themselves in the experience.
ARPG – Add the letter A to RPG to get an Action Role-Playing Game. The following are some of the most popular ARP games of all time.
TBS – A Turn-Based Strategy game is a strategy game in which players take turns to play.
RTS – A Real-Time Strategy game is a strategy game that involves all players playing simultaneously
MOBA – Multiplayer Online Battle Arena refers to a type of game where two teams of players compete in an arena-styled environment.
TCG/CCG – A Trading Card Game or a Collectible Card Game is a type of strategic card game involving specially designed card sets that are either traded by players to complete a set or collected alongside booster packs.

Acronyms and Abbreviations Used in Player Communication

You do not want to spend precious seconds in the chat room spelling things out for your other players. Whether you need them to know you are logging off or looking to acquire some gaming assets, these acronyms come in handy.

DC – Disconnect
AFK – Away From Keyboard
OMW – On My Way
OTW – On The Way
BRB – Be Right Back
BG – Bad Game
GG – Good Game
GGWP – Good Game, Well Played
GLHF – Good Luck Have Fun
FF – Friendly Fire or Forfeit
FTW – For the Win
IGN – In-Game Name (Your account name in the game)
LFG – Looking For Group
LFP – Looking For Party
LFT – Looking for Team
OP – Overpowered
MP – Magic Points or Mana Points
XP – Experience Points
TL;DR – Too Long, Didn’t Read
QQ – Crying
WTB – Want To Buy
WTS – Want To Sell
WTT – Want To Trade
PUG – Pick-Up Group (A randomly assembled group)
WIP – Work In Progress

Helpful Tip: Difference Between an Abbreviation and an Acronym

We have been using the terms abbreviation and acronym together, and you might be wondering why not one or the other. Let’s bring a bit of your English class here. While sometimes used interchangeably, abbreviations and acronyms do not mean the same thing. Abbreviations and acronyms are shortened words or phrases, but that is where the similarity ends.

Abbreviations are formed by removing one or more letters from a word or phrase. They can be formed from the initial letters of a word. Notably, though, an abbreviation only serves its purpose when written down. When you need to say an abbreviated word, you still have to pronounce the word in full.

On the other hand, an acronym is formed using the first letter of each word in a phrase. Sometimes, acronyms become so popular that they replace the original phrase. An acronym is typically pronounced as written. For example, no one remembers to say North Atlantic Treaty Organisation when they can simply say NATO.