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Entertainment September 24, 2018
Learning a new language isn't easy, but we've got you.
So, you’re trying to be a Twitch streamer? Or, at least, you’re trying to get really good at this ridiculously popular game so you can brag to your friends about it. Either way, you’re going to have to do some linguistic homework.
Because “Overwatch” is so heavy on teamwork, communication is essential. And you can’t communicate if you can’t keep up with your teammates’ vocabulary. So here’s your guide on basic gaming terms to get you on your path to stardom.
Role-playing game. This is a popular video game genre where you design a character and often follow a storyline. Normally, players complete quests in order to level up their characters and receive better equipment.
First person shooter. If you know “Call of Duty,” you know this gaming genre. A FPS is played from the first person perspective, and you shoot other players. That’s it. That’s the entire game.
A character that is low health, low defense and dies easily. To make up for it, they’re normally pretty zippy and can dump a lot of damage in a short amount of time.
One of the gaming terms familiar across many genres, a tank is a character with high health. Their health soaks up damage. This allows your squishier heroes to attack opponents while you take one for the team.
The underrated holy grail of all games. These are the guys in the back healing and buffing your unappreciative self so that you can run off and kill things. Without a solid support, you’ll die a quick, painful and gruesome death.
While DPS stands for damage per second, it also refers to high damage attack heroes. These players are protected by tanks and healed by support so that they can do the most important thing in the game: kill things.
And they tend to be the players that yell and rage quit the most.
Good game. It’s a nice, polite thing to say at the end of the game whether you’ve won or lost. Especially if you’ve lost. Good sportsmanship is a rare, rare thing in the gaming community.
An easy way to tell people you’re a d*ck after you win. It stands for “good game, easy” and also communicates that you don’t have a lot of life accomplishments. Seriously, you’ll even embarrass your teammates by doing this. Just don’t say it.
When the whole team is trash and one person basically did all the work. They’ll probably hop on chat at the end of the game and rage about how hard they carried the team. Sometimes, it’s a fair complaint.
A thing that apparently no one knows exists. There are stages where you will need to escort the payload from point A to point B. People have a tendency to leave the payload behind to up their Kill/Death Ratio. Don’t be that person. Ideally, you should have at least three people escorting the payload at all times.
Similar to what it sounds like, you choose high mobility heroes that can dive straight into enemy lines and get a pick. It’s one of the most popular and effective compositions in “Overwatch.”
A Lucio that’s been boosted by Ana’s ultimate, Nano Boost. Essentially, it’s a troll move. As a heavy support without an intense amount of damage, Lucio is one of the worst choices for a Nano Boost. I mean, it’s such a troll pick that we even gave it a name.
Actually the worst player in the game. A Hanjo is someone who refuses to switch off of Hanzo no matter what the situation. King of the hill? Hanzo. Payload? Hanzo. Three DPS on the team already? Hanzo. You could be losing 0% to 90% on a king of the hill, and they’ll ignore the call that the team really needs a healer. (Hanzo above all else, bro!)
The more you try to get them to switch, the more they’ll dig their heels in. It’s best to leave them to their fantasy world and try to work around them.
This is your cue to go jump on that hero. If your teammate is calling out, “Sombra’s lit! She’s lit!” please don’t ignore them. This means that the hero is very low HP and on their deathbed. Now you have to follow through and actually do something about it.
Winston, but we never refer to him as Winston. Ever. You tell your teammates, “Harambe’s on me,” or you will be left to die.
The Genji and Hanzo Shimada brothers. A nickname coined for potentially the most annoying characters and players in the game.
Also known as the most frustrating way to watch all your teammates die. Instead of teaming up and pushing against the enemy together, these prideful infidels think they can run in on a 1 v 6 and snag play of the game. It never works, and you’ll watch the clock slowly run out as your teammates throw themselves at death again and again.
A flex (flexible) player is someone who can play any hero as needed. They might specialize in a class, such as a flex tank or DPS. They’re fluid players. Above all, people are expecting you to make big moves and decisions to turn the tide of the game.
What’re you gonna do, solo ult me? Said the man right before he was solo ulted.
This is using your ultimate on only one player in order to kill them. It’s petty, useless and oh so satisfying. It’s a terrible move, but honestly? Sometimes so worth it.
Most likely a Genji behind enemy lines spamming the “I need healing” voice line. If you abuse this skill, you will likely need healing for the rest of the game while all your supports do their best to ignore you. Don’t be this player.
Now that you know basic gaming terms, go be the streamer you’ve always wished you could be. We’re rooting for you!
