Gaming glossary
Loot, ping, TTK, nerf, buff, meta… The jargon of gaming and Warzone/GTA, translated and explained simply. Search a term or browse the index.
134 terms
A
- AAAGenre
- A game with a very large production and marketing budget ("triple A").
- Achievement / SuccèsGeneral
- A reward (trophy) unlocked by completing a specific objective.
- Add-on / ExtensionGeneral
- Additional content that adds onto an existing game.
- ADSFPS
- "Aim Down Sights": aiming by looking through the weapon's sights for more accuracy.
- AFKOnline
- "Away From Keyboard": a player who is away or inactive during the match.
- AggroGeneral
- Drawing the attention and aggression of AI-controlled enemies.
- Aim assistFPS
- Controller aiming aid that slows down or slightly sticks the reticle onto a target.
- AimbotOnline
- A cheat program that aims automatically for the player.
- AOE / Zone d'effetEsports
- "Area Of Effect": damage or effect hitting an area, not a single target.
- ARFPS
- Assault Rifle: a versatile weapon effective at medium and long range.
- ArcadeGenre
- A simple, fast, pick-up-and-play style; or an old-school coin-op cabinet.
- AttachementFPS
- An attachment that modifies a weapon (barrel, mag, optic…) and changes its stats.
- AvatarGeneral
- The character that represents the player in the game.
B
- Bac à sable / SandboxGenre
- An open-world game that lets the player act freely.
- Battle RoyaleGeneral
- A mode where many players fight in a shrinking zone until one is left standing. See →
- Beat'em allGenre
- A game where you fight waves of enemies in melee.
- BêtaGeneral
- A testing phase of a game before its official release.
- BossGeneral
- A major, more powerful enemy, often placed at the end of a level.
- BotGeneral
- A very weak player, or a computer-controlled character (AI).
- BuffGeneral
- An update that strengthens a weapon or ability (the opposite of a nerf).
- BugGeneral
- Abnormal game behavior caused by a programming error.
- BuildGeneral
- A character setup (skills, gear) optimized for a playstyle.
- BundleGeneral
- A pack bundling several games or items, often at a reduced price.
- BurstEsports
- A spike of damage dealt very quickly, in a short window.
C
- CampGeneral
- Staying still in one spot, ambush-style, to surprise enemies.
- CarryEsports
- Carrying your team to victory through individual performance.
- Casual / CasuGeneral
- A casual player who plays to relax rather than to perform.
- Cheat / TricheOnline
- Using a program or code to gain an unfair advantage.
- CheckpointGeneral
- A save point where you respawn after failing.
- CinématiqueGeneral
- A non-playable video sequence that advances the story (cutscene).
- ClutchGeneral
- Winning a desperate situation, often alone against several enemies (1vX).
- ComboGeneral
- A chain of actions or hits for an enhanced effect.
- ContratWarzone
- An optional objective picked up on the map that rewards cash, gear or information. See →
- Cooldown / CDEsports
- The recharge time before an ability can be used again.
- Crafting / ArtisanatGeneral
- Creating items from gathered resources.
- CrossplayOnline
- The ability to play together across different platforms (PC, PlayStation, Xbox).
- CrunchGeneral
- A period of intense overwork during a game's development.
D
- DeathmatchFPS
- A mode where everyone kills everyone, scored by frags.
- DebuffEsports
- A temporary negative effect applied to a target (a debuff).
- DLCGeneral
- "Downloadable Content": downloadable extra content, free or paid.
- DPSEsports
- "Damage Per Second": damage output per second; also a damage-focused role.
E
- Early access / Accès anticipéGeneral
- Playing a game still in development, before its full release.
- Easter eggGeneral
- A hidden secret or wink left by the developers in the game.
- ELO / MMREsports
- A (often hidden) score that measures your level and matches balanced opponents.
- EndgameGeneral
- The content and activities available once the main story is done.
F
- F2P / Free-to-playGeneral
- A free-to-play game, often funded by optional purchases.
- FarmGeneral
- Repeating an activity to stack resources, money or experience (close to "grind").
- FlankGeneral
- Going around the enemy to attack from the side or behind.
- FOVFPS
- "Field Of View", in degrees. The wider it is, the more you see at the edges.
- FPSHardware
- Frames per second (display smoothness). Also the "first-person shooter" genre.
- FragFPS
- A kill. "Getting frags" means racking up eliminations.
G
- GachaGeneral
- A paid system of random draws for characters or items.
- GankEsports
- A group ambush on an isolated enemy (mainly in MOBAs).
- GGOnline
- "Good Game": a courtesy said at the end of a match.
- GlitchGeneral
- An exploitable bug, sometimes used deliberately by players.
- GoulagWarzone
- Warzone's 1v1 second-chance duel: the winner redeploys onto the map. See →
- GrindGeneral
- Repeating a long, repetitive task to progress (level, currency, items).
- GTA$GTA
- GTA Online's in-game currency, used to buy everything (vehicles, properties, businesses). See →
H
- HeadshotFPS
- A shot to the head: deals bonus damage, sometimes an instant kill.
- Heist / BraquageGTA
- A multi-stage mission (prep then finale) offering a big payout in GTA Online. See →
- HitboxFPS
- A model's invisible collision zone that determines whether a shot connects.
- HitscanFPS
- Instant-hit shooting with no bullet travel: the target is hit the moment you fire on aim.
- HotfixGeneral
- A quick fix deployed urgently between two patches.
- HP / PVGeneral
- Hit points: a character's health gauge.
- HUDGeneral
- "Head-Up Display": the on-screen interface (health, ammo, minimap…).
K
- K/DFPS
- Kill/death ratio. A K/D above 1 means more kills than deaths.
L
- LagOnline
- Slowdown or delay caused by a poor network connection.
- LMGFPS
- Light Machine Gun: big magazine, high fire rate, great for suppressing.
- LoadoutFPS
- A custom kit: weapons, attachments and perks chosen before or during a match. See →
- Loadout dropWarzone
- A crate you call in (by buying it) to grab your custom loadout in Warzone.
- LobbyOnline
- The room grouping the players of a given match or session.
- LootGeneral
- Loot: items, weapons and gear to pick up from the ground or enemies. "To loot" = to pick up.
- Lootbox / CoffreGeneral
- A loot box with random contents, often bought with real money.
M
- ManaGeneral
- A resource spent to cast spells or abilities.
- Map / CarteGeneral
- The play area; also the minimap shown on screen.
- MatchmakingOnline
- The system that forms matches by pairing players of similar level.
- Mêlée / MeleeFPS
- Close-quarters combat, without a ranged weapon.
- MetaGeneral
- The set of most effective choices (weapons, builds, tactics) at a given time. See →
- MicrotransactionGeneral
- A small in-game purchase (cosmetic, currency) paid with real money.
- MMORPGGenre
- A massively multiplayer online role-playing game, in a persistent world.
- MnKHardware
- "Mouse & Keyboard": playing with mouse and keyboard, as opposed to a controller.
- MOBAGenre
- "Multiplayer Online Battle Arena": two teams destroy the enemy base (e.g. LoL).
- ModGeneral
- An unofficial, community-made modification of a game.
N
- NerfGeneral
- An update that weakens a weapon or ability (the opposite of a buff).
- NoobOnline
- A beginner or clumsy player (often derogatory).
- NoscopeFPS
- A sniper shot taken without using the scope.
- NPCGeneral
- "Non-Player Character": a character controlled by the game (pedestrians, AI enemies).
O
- One-shotFPS
- Eliminating an enemy with a single bullet or hit.
- OPEsports
- "Overpowered": too strong, unbalanced (often a nerf candidate).
- Open world / Monde ouvertGenre
- A large, freely explorable game world, without forced corridors.
P
- P2W / Pay-to-winGeneral
- A game where paying grants a real competitive advantage.
- PatchGeneral
- An update that fixes bugs and rebalances the game (hence buffs and nerfs). See →
- PeekFPS
- Briefly exposing part of your body to shoot or spot, then re-covering.
- Permadeath / Mort permanenteGeneral
- Permanent death: the character or run is lost for good.
- PingOnline
- Network response time in milliseconds (lower is better). Also: to "mark" a spot or enemy for the team.
- PlaquesWarzone
- Armor plates that make up your armor: refill them to absorb more damage. See →
- PodiumGTA
- The free vehicle showcased each week at GTA Online's Diamond Casino, won on the wheel. See →
- PvEOnline
- "Player versus Environment": player(s) against the game's enemies.
- PvPOnline
- "Player versus Player": combat between players.
Q
- QuickscopeFPS
- Scoping in and firing instantly, in one fast motion.
R
- RagequitOnline
- Leaving a match in a fit of anger.
- Rank / RangEsports
- A player's ranking tier in competitive mode.
- Recoil / ReculFPS
- The weapon's kick and drift while firing: the stronger it is, the harder the gun is to control.
- RespawnGeneral
- A player reappearing after dying (in modes that allow it).
- RNGEsports
- "Random Number Generator": the element of luck in a game.
- RoguelikeGenre
- A game with randomized runs and permadeath, restarted from scratch.
- RPGTA
- "Reputation Points": GTA Online's experience, which raises your rank.
- RPG / Jeu de rôleGenre
- A game where you embody a character you develop (stats, story, choices).
- RTS / STRGenre
- "Real-Time Strategy": real-time strategy (simultaneous management and battles).
- RushGeneral
- Attacking aggressively and fast, without waiting.
S
- Saison / SeasonGeneral
- A time-limited content period, with dedicated rewards and theme.
- SkillGeneral
- A player's skill level; also an in-game ability.
- SkinGeneral
- A cosmetic look for a weapon or character: purely visual, with no effect on gameplay.
- SlideFPS
- A quick ground slide to reposition or break the enemy's aim. See →
- SMGFPS
- Submachine Gun: high fire rate, deadly at close range.
- SmurfOnline
- An experienced player using a low-level account to face beginners.
- SniperFPS
- A long-range precision rifle, often able to kill in one shot.
- SpamGeneral
- Repeating an action or move excessively.
- SpawnGeneral
- The point where a player, item or enemy appears on the map.
- SpeedrunGeneral
- Completing a game as fast as possible, usually timed.
- StrafeFPS
- Moving sideways (left-right) while aiming, to be harder to hit.
- Stun / ÉtourdissementEsports
- An effect that briefly immobilizes a target, stopping it from acting.
- SweatOnline
- A very tryhard player who plays intensely and competitively even in casual matches.
T
- TankEsports
- The bruiser role: a sturdy character that soaks damage for the team.
- Third-partyGeneral
- Attacking two teams already fighting each other to capitalize on their weakened state.
- Tier listGeneral
- A ranking of items by power tiers (S, A, B…).
- Toxic / ToxiqueOnline
- A player with harmful behavior (insults, sabotaging the team).
- TryhardOnline
- Playing very seriously and intensely, even in casual matches.
- TTKFPS
- "Time To Kill": the time needed to eliminate an enemy. The shorter it is, the deadlier the weapon. See →
- Tuto / TutorielGeneral
- A learning sequence that teaches the basics at the start of the game.
W
- WallhackOnline
- A cheat that lets you see enemies through walls.
- WipeGeneral
- Eliminating an entire enemy team at once.
X
- XPGeneral
- Experience points: they level up the player or the weapon.
Z
- Zone / GazWarzone
- The circle that closes over the match; staying outside it deals damage (the "gas").