ESPORTS
GLOSSARY

This can refer to the level of aggression displayed by computer-controlled NPCs when attacking player characters. ‘Pulling aggro’ means getting close enough to the computer-controlled enemy to get them to attack you.

Aggro can also refer to implementing an aggressive style of play in esports, in order to put pressure on the opponent.

The character that each player selects and controls in a game.

A method of sneaking around or behind an opponent without them realising until it is mostly too late (e.g. if the opponents are occupied elsewhere). It’s usually used to describe a game-winning play, such as sneaking into the enemy’s base to destroy it, without the opposing team realising in time.

A player feigning weakness or sacrificing themselves in order to lure an opponent into a situation in which the feigning player (and their team) can then overpower and kill the opponent.

The maximum amount of games to be played within a match. Matches are usually played as best-of-three or best-of-five games and the team who wins the most games (2/3 or 3/5 for example) are the winners of the match.

Computer-controlled players which real-life players can play against in games. They allow players to practice and are often good for beginners to play against.

Usually a tree-shaped diagram that represents the format followed by an esports tournament. Different tournaments follow different bracket formations. A bracket stage is one stage in a tournament.

A stream or video that showcases an event or match, and generally is live.

A spell, ability or effect that results in a positive increase in a character’s power. Buffs can be obtained temporarily mid-game or are permanently made as part of an upgrade by the game’s developer.

Where a team does not participate in a round of a tournament, and is given a direct pass into the next round. This could be because the team they were due to play has been banned.

Short for bring your own computer. Used when people are encouraged to bring their own gaming device to a LAN event, to play in-person with others.

A player whose character can deal a large amount of damage to opponents or who plays a key role in the teams’ success. The idea is they are the one making a difference and mainly carrying their team to victory.

The currently active area of play in a Battle Royale game. The circle is often surrounded by a type of gas or area that can be deadly upon prolonged exposure. The size of the circle gets smaller as the game progresses, bringing all players’ characters closer to one another as they reach the late-game.

All of the events that are happening in a title across the year – i.e the Dota 2 Circuit, which would include Majors, Minors, and The International.

A player’s ability to perform well under extreme pressure or in an important part of a match, and the ability to win when winning previously seemed impossible. For example, being one person against four, and defeating them all, is a clutch.

Where competitive tournaments take place amongst college/university students.

Shortened version of saying ‘composition’, and can describe a specific group of in-game characters chosen to form a team.

The piece of technological equipment specifically used to play games on, but not a computer. For example, a PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch are all games consoles.

A shortened way of saying ‘difference’, it describes when the enemy team has an advantage – i.e ‘healer diff’ means that the enemy healer is better than the other.

A simple way to say that when you lose twice in an esports tournament, you are eliminated. It’s a format when two brackets (upper and lower) are used in a tournament. In the upper bracket, teams play against each other until there is a single winning team at the end.

If a team loses a match in the upper bracket they will drop to the lower bracket, where they get a second chance by playing another team. If they win this match, they can progress through the bracket. However, if they lose this game too, they will be eliminated from the tournament.

The early stages of a round/game within a match. In some games, the early game ends at a specific time or after a specific move.

The finances of a team and their ability to purchase items or weapons in-game.

A matchmaking system like that used in chess – it uses players stats and performance across games to determine a rating. If they win a game, their elo rating goes up, and if they lose, their rating goes down. This rating is used to match them with players of similar skill levels.

The elo system is named after its creator Arpad Elo, a Hungarian-American physics professor.

The playing of video games competitively (usually through tournaments and leagues) by professional or amateur gamers (either as individuals or teams) in front of spectators and sometimes for prize money.

It’s short for ‘electronic sports’, though that term is not really used in full anymore.

Coming up on the enemy from behind and/or the sides to gain an advantage or element of surprise over them when attacking.

Giving up or conceding defeat within a specific game or battle, or even an entire match.

Stands for ‘Good Luck, Have Fun’ and is normally typed at the start of an online match to your team and/or opponent.

The foundation level of esports tournaments. Grassroots tournaments are usually where most players and talent will generally start out, with the best climbing up to more professional levels.

The on-screen display that shows essential information about the player’s character and the game (e.g. character’s health, time left, weapons list, game progression, character abilities, or a mini-map of the surrounding area).

The ‘health’ of a character. A player’s character begins with a certain amount of HP (such as 100HP) and every time they are hit, their points go down. Once all their points have been depleted the character dies.

Can either refer to an individual that is leading a broadcast (like a presenter), or a game server that is the central point for players to play the game.

The player who is responsible for deciding team tactics in the game and who issues instructions to other team members to follow. They’re akin to a team captain in traditional physical sports.

Making successive kills in the game without dying. Killstreaks are often rewarded with extra powers or in-game currency.

Another way of saying ‘leaderboard’. A basic competitive structure that allows people to be able to climb or drop in relation to their space on the ‘ladder’.

Local Area Network – generally people hold ‘LAN parties’ and events to allow gatherings of people to come together on a network and play multiplier games together. Popular LAN events in the UK include Insomnia Gaming Festival and Epic.LAN.

The latter stages of a game. In some games, the late game begins at a specific time or after a specific move. At this stage in MOBA games, characters may be more powerful than they were at the start of a game, and a mistake or successful move can more likely result in a respective loss or win.

Moving up to a higher level of the game and being rewarded with extra powers, abilities, strength, and/or weapons. Players need to complete tasks within the game and acquire XP or gold to help them level up and get stronger. For example, moving from level 1 to 2 will result in a small increase in stats.

What a player is able to see on the map. If something is ‘out of LOS’ it means that it is obstructed and can’t be seen.

Two olevels a tournament can be, with major being the bigger and professional events, whereas the minors are at a slightly lower level. Counter-Strike has well-known major tournaments.

The settings or areas for esports games, where the action takes place. Can be thought of like a pitch in traditional sports. Many games have multiple maps on which the game can be played. Maps differ in style and layout and may require different strategies to win.

The group of maps (in-game areas) that a specific tournament will use. Can also refer to the maps a team has practised on.

Short for Metagame – this is the currently considered most effective styles of play, strategies, character choices, or team compositions for playing and winning a game at the highest level. A game’s meta can change if a new character or items are released, for example.

The middle stages of a round/game within a match. In some games, the mid game begins and ends at a specific time or after a specific move.

Most Valuable Player – normally voted for by casters or other players, but it is the player that has shown they are invaluable to the team throughout a match or tournament. The equivalent in traditional sports is a player of the match.

When a character or item (e.g. a weapon) is purposely weakened by the game developers in a game update. It is the opposite of a buff.

A way that you can build up contacts and relations with people in the industry. Companies host networking events, but you can also reach out to people on your own accord.

Networking can also be used to describe a network of PCs.

Abbreviation of non-player character – in-game characters that are controlled by the computer and not by human players. They can usually interact with and assist players’ characters throughout the game.

An esports event that takes place in a venue, such as a stadium, arena or theatre, with all players present in-person and connected to the game via a LAN (Local Area Network).

An esports event that takes place remotely, with players connecting to the game via the internet from different locations around the world.

Shortened way of saying ‘organisation’. An esports team organisation fields teams of players to compete.

A character, weapon or ability in a game that is considered by many to be too powerful and in need of an adjustment, or nerf (the act of being weakened by the game developer).

Beneficial characteristics (such as abilities and powers) of a character or feature within a game.

The period before the match where both teams decide which characters/heroes/champions/maps they would like to play, and which they want to ban from the game, so the opposing team cannot pick them. This phase can also be known as a draft in some titles.

The ping (or latency) of a player is how fast they can send a command to the game and have the game (or its server) display what happened. Read our article on all things Ping, Latency and Lag!

A knockout stage of a competition played after the end of a league’s regular season or group stage of a standalone tournament, to determine the event’s champion.

Teams usually play in best-of-three or best-of-five matches at this point, as they play in quarter finals and semi-finals etc.

The total amount of money that is to be split amongst the winners of a tournament.

A game in which players compete against other players. It’s the opposite of Player vs Environment (PvE), a term used to describe playing against the computer.

A programming algorithm built into some games that generates random numbers for variables within the game. For example, certain events happening (like finding a rare item) or for determining how abilities or weapons affect opponents’ characters, or the chance of landing a critical hit on an opponent.

The main scheduled league competition for an esport in a specific region (e.g. North America). During the regular season, all teams in the league will usually play a group stage tournament. At the end of the regular season, the top teams will usually then enter the playoffs to find the outright winner. In most esports, there are two regular seasons per year – Spring and Summer. Some also have a Winter and/or Autumn season too.

When a character reappears or revives in the game after having been killed.

The line-up of players that an esports team will be fielding for a season or for a particular event. Roster sizes can vary per game, with substitutes usually being allowed too.

When a player/team attacks the other player/team quickly and causes as much damage as possible before the opposing player/team can react and defend themselves.

A practice match between two teams, and are generally used to prepare for an upcoming fixture.

This can have two meanings in esports. The first being what you use to play games on (the physical layout of your PC system and accessories, or console for example), and the other being the space of time at the start of a match where the teams can prepare to begin – generally referred to as the ‘setup phase’.

Casting an ability with precise aim and timing to hit an enemy. Because of the skill involved in hitting a targeted skillshot, a player who has a high skillshot rate can be seen as a skilled player.

The opposite of a skillshot is an instant cast ability on an area or target, which activates as soon as a key or mouse button is clicked, and a specific/correct aim may not be needed.

In-game cosmetic items that can be purchased by the player and used to change the appearance of a character or their weapons. They are usually purely aesthetic and do not affect a character/weapon’s performance in the game. Some skins are rare and can be valuable, and in some titles they can be used as in-game currency or can be traded.

When a player repeatedly uses the same action or item against an opponent, or repeats the same thing in a chat box over and over again.

The entrance of a player (or weapon/item) into the game arena/map at the beginning of a game, or a respawn point during a game.

Watching a match whilst it is taking place. In some games you can spectate your team in-game when you die, or others can come in and watch the match without being a player.

Spectating can also be a term used to describe people watching esports, whether in-person at an event, or online watching a livestream.

Another word for an esports tournament season – for example the British Esports Student Champs has a Winter Split and a Spring Split.

When a group of players work together, standing near one another closely, to attack the opposing team or to defend a base.

A live video broadcast, or livestream, on a platform like Twitch or YouTube.

A role/position of a player in an esport team that plays characters, or in a style, that helps teammates, usually by buffing them (i.e. powering them up), for example through healing, improving their damage or defenses.

This can have multiple meanings in esports, but the main one is used to describe the people involved in a production or stream (broadcast talent or on-screen talent such as casters or commentators, observers, and producers). Sometimes pro players are referred to as talent too.

A tough and resilient character who can take a lot of damage. The character is used to lead attacks and to also shield other team members from attacking forces.

Refers to a game (e.g League of Legends is an esports title).

A competition or series of competitions between a variety of individuals/teams for a prize.

Being unpleasant to other players in a game through voice or match chat. This is looked down upon in the industry, and can result in bans if people are found to be toxic.

Insulting another players gameplay or abilities. While some trash talk can be mild and used for fun on broadcast, there are different levels of trash talk, and some can be toxic. Extreme trash talk can be looked down upon in the industry, and in-game slurs and insults can result in bans.

A popular livestreaming platform that gamers use to watch and broadcast esports competitions.

A character’s most powerful ability. When used at the right time, it could help win the game for a team.

How much a character (and the player controlling it) can see. Some games like League of Legends will have a ‘fog of war’ – areas that are blacked out. Players do not have vision of these areas, unless they use items like wards.

Mostly used in RPG, MOBA, and MMORPG-style games, XP are points that are scored upon completing certain actions throughout the game (e.g. killing creeps/minions). Hitting certain amounts of XP allows a player’s character to level up (and in doing so, gain new abilities, powers, or weapons).

A tactical move that forces the opposing players into a particular area where they cannot escape or that is advantageous to you to get the kill.

Someone who provides commentary on a broadcast. Can be different variations of a caster, including a ‘colour caster’ (Someone that provides further details and information when commentating on a match), ‘shoutcaster’ (another word for caster), or ‘play-by-play caster’ (They provide running ‘on-the-fly’ commentary as the match is taking place).

Someone who creates written or video content (Can range from Journalists to YouTubers)

Someone who controls the in-game cameras for esports broadcasts. You can have one observer, but you can also have multiple capturing different angles of play.

Shortened version of saying professional; and relates to a professional esports player.

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