If you play video games online, you’ve probably seen or heard the acronym GG used to express good sportsmanship at the end of a match. But what does it mean? And how should you use it yourself? Here’s everything you need to know about this common gaming term!
The origin of the term
You’ve probably seen this term around a lot if you play video games. This can be used as a preface before starting a game or as a farewell after completing one. It’s fairly universal and is just as likely that you will find it in an Xbox live chat room or on the Overwatch team chat window. It may have different meanings depending on the context, but its basic idea is still good sportsmanship and wishing for the other players to have fun during the game.
The origin of GG’s meaning has roots in online gaming communities from many years ago when etiquette was important. A player might type Good Game in an acknowledgment of their opponent and wish them luck for future matches.
Today, people often use GGs as a way of saying Good game after playing with someone in an online game, especially for first-person shooters and MOBAs. There are even many clans that use it as their motto. It’s also common to hear in video games where you can speak with your team members. For example, Overwatch players might end their matches by saying something like GG WP guys, meaning good game well played. If someone loses badly at an FPS and is taunted by other players, they might type out gg no re or gg not re, which means a good game not really because I got beat pretty bad. There are even times when chat rooms can be aggressive toward one another or insult people’s mothers or siblings.
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Where it’s used today
GG is a common abbreviation that means good game. It can be used to wish someone good luck, congratulate them on a victory, or show you enjoyed playing against them. It originated in the mid-1980s and spread with the rise of online gaming culture.
It’s not uncommon for players who are going to stop playing games together for some reason like running out of time to tell each other GG WP (good game, well played).
Whether you’re playing someone on your team or someone from another, it’s common for competitors in online games—especially first-person shooters like Halo and Call of Duty—to say good game before ending their session. Using it doesn’t necessarily mean that one person has won and another has lost, but rather is just a polite way of indicating that each player gave their best shot. It can be seen as being similar to saying thanks for a match or goodbye at the end of an athletic contest. Even when players aren’t competing against each other, as in co-op games like Left 4 Dead or Overcooked 2, they may still wish each other a good game before signing off.
Examples in use
GG stands for a good game. You typically say it when you’re playing a game online and you want the other person who is playing with you to know that they did a good job. To wish someone else a good game online, send them a message saying, gg. If you want to be more direct about it, try typing out something like gl hf, which means good luck and have fun.
Although there are other acronyms that can be used in place of gg, a good game is one of the most common. Other examples include gf, which means good fight, and gj or gty, which stands for a good job. In esports where teams play each other instead of individuals, you’ll sometimes see gl hf or gl h2h, which means good luck have fun or have a good time have fun playing against each other. With these and many other variations, it’s best to keep it simple when wishing someone else luck online.