Strategies

Slanguage: Gaming Edition

2021
We take a deep-dive into the world of emotes, the visual
symbols gamers use to communicate and react on
streaming platform Twitch

Matt Poile
07.19.21 · 8 minutes

Twitch
Analysis
As we’ve tracked the phenomenal rise of gaming over
the past 18 months, we’ve also highlighted how
community is central to its appeal. 

And just like any other community, gamers have their

own distinct slang terms and means of expressing
themselves and fitting in with other like-minded players.
Evolving our original Slanguage 2021 report, this report
will take a deeper dive into the emotes that form the
basis of this communication, especially on streaming
platform Twitch. This self-referential and humour-filled
lexicon is full of in-jokes and irony, so weʼve put together
a list of some of the most popular emotes to help
provide an overview of how they are used and the
general tone of the conversation among gaming
communities.
This list is by no means exhaustive, but should provide
an entry point for brands looking to engage on a deeper
level and to understand what's going on in the chat.

Twitch

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Emotes explained
Emotes are a type of emoji used on gaming streaming platform Twitch, which over
time have developed into their own unique dialect on the platform’s chat
function.

There are thousands of emotes found on Twitch (and other platforms), which are used
to convey a huge range of emotions and reactions. They usually consist of an image of a
Twitch employee or a streamer pulling a face, but have also been taken from viral
video clips, memes and anime. Internet character Pepe the Frog features heavily, and
although the amphibious figure – created in 2005 by US cartoonist Matt Furie – has
been co-opted for political purposes in the past, his appearance in the context of the
Twitch chat is mostly innocuous and apolitical, employed for his ability to convey
different emotional states.
Twitchʼs chat function is the key area of interaction for streamers and their audiences,
and itʼs where emotes are employed liberally to convey a range of emotions and
reactions. Many of these emotes can also be found spilling over to other online
platforms where gamers congregate, such as Reddit and Discord. The fast-paced
nature of the Twitch chat, which o en moves at lightning speed, lends itself well to
this image-based form of communication. Users download a browser extension such as
Better Twitch TV (BTTV) or FrankerFaceZ to render emotes visible in the chat.
While many channels make use of their own custom emotes, which can be accessed by
subscribing to a channel, and some even have their own unique emote cultures, the
meanings of the most popular emotes tend to remain largely the same wherever you
go on Twitch.
Polygon

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The funny side
Twitch
LUL
This emote is used to show
laughter – the real, full-bellied
kind. Similar to the classic LOL (it
stands for 'lame uncomfortable
laugh'), itʼs used the same way as
a laughing emoji on any other
platform. The image
immortalises the late, much-
loved, streamer John Bain AKA
TotalBiscuit, who passed away in
2018. Itʼs one of the most-used
emotes on the entire platform.
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Twitch
KEKW
Another emote representing
laughter, used any time
something funny happens during
a stream. The image is a
zoomed-in still of actor and
comedian Juan Joya Borja
laughing uncontrollably on
Spanish TV, and was popularised
on Twitch in 2019 through being
used on xQc (6m followers) and
Admiral Bulldogʼs (740k
followers) streams. Pronounced
'kek-way'.
Twitch
Kappa
One of the most recognisable
emotes on the platform, and one
of the most frequently used,
Kappa is used to show sarcasm.
The go-to trolling emote, users
will follow up a tongue-in-cheek
comment with a kappa emote, or
use it to roll their eyes at
something a streamer says. The
face belongs to Josh DeSeno, a
former employee of Justin.TV,
the streaming platform whose
gaming section eventually
turned into Twitch.
Twitch
4Head
Used in reaction to jokes –
especially cheesy ones or dad
jokes. It can represent genuine
laughter or the sarcastic kind,
depending on the context. The
image is of League of Legends
streamer Cadburry (28k
followers), and has also
spawned some frequently-used
variations, including 5Head
(showing intelligence or mock
intelligence) and 4Weird (for
when something strange
occurs).
Twitch
PepeLaugh
O en used as a way to anticipate
laughter, and is associated with
the phrase 'here it comes'. Also
used as a straightforward
laughing emote that is directly
comparable to the laugh-crying
emoji commonly found across
messaging platforms.
The victory lap
Twitch
PogChamp
Used to express surprise and/or
excitement about whatever is
happening on the stream,
PogChamp is one of the most
popular emotes on Twitch and
one of the oldest. Audiences use
it when a streamer makes a
skilful play or defeats an
opponent in a particularly
impressive way. Depicting pro
Street Fighter gamer Ryan
Gutierrez AKA Gootecks, the
image has many variations, and is
o en shortened to Pog,
Poggers, PogU and Poggies, etc.
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Twitch
EZ
Short for 'easy', this Pepe the
Frog emote is used when a
gamer wins or gets a kill easily –
essentially as a way for the
audience to say ʻwell doneʼ to
the streamer. It can be used
sincerely or in an ironic way if a
match was actually hard fought.
It frequently appears as EZ
Clap, with the clapping hands
emote appearing next to Pepe.
SourPls
A gif emote that represents an
excited celebration, audience
members use SourPls to show
they are happy about something
happening on the stream. Itʼs
about getting hyped up,
perfectly depicted by the
overexcited dance moves of a
man in a Toys R Us store.
Twitch
<3
The purple heart emote is used
on Twitch to show some love to
the streamer. Audience
members post it in the chat to
show their gratitude, support
and general appreciation for the
streamer whose channel they
are watching. Itʼs o en used
when the streamer has given out
subs (subscriptions), bits and
other donations to their
audience.
Twitch
TriHard
A hugely popular emote thatʼs
also controversial, TriHard has
many different meanings
depending on the context
(thanks to the awkward facial
expression). Itʼs o en used
when someone has won on a
stream (by trying hard), to show
happiness and success, or even
surprise, but also has been
banned by some streamers
(including HasanAbi) for its
racist connotations – it shows up
in toxic chats whenever a black
person appears onscreen, or
accompanying racist remarks.
Getting emotional
Twitch
MonkaS
Used to show that the streamer
is caught in an anxiety-provoking
or intense situation. O en gets
spammed in the chat when the
streamer is getting nervous,
stressed out or worried. It can
be applied to in-game situations,
such as completing a
particularly hard part of a game,
or for when someone is
discussing stressful real-life
situations. MonkaW is a zoomed-
in version of the MonkaS emote.
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Twitch
NotLikeThis
This emote is used when a
frustrating loss occurs or when
things go horribly wrong, o en
due to a situation in the game
that is out of the streamersʼ
control or is particularly
unlucky. The image shows
Twitch employee Ben Swartz
with his head in his hands – for
those moments when you just
canʼt believe your bad luck.
Twitch
Sadge
Used to depict sadness and
disappointment, the downcast
expression on Pepeʼs face says it
all. Like many other emotes
however, itʼs frequently
employed in an ironic sense.
Pepe the Frog variations cover a
wide range of emotional states,
including the widely used
FeelsBadMan and
FeelsGoodMan emotes.
Twitch
BibleThump
BibleThump is the most widely
used crying emoji, and is used to
show sadness (again, this can be
real disappointment or in an
ironic way). The emote, with its
over-the-top teary-eyed
expression, is taken from 2012
game The Binding of Isaac and
was popularised on the 2013
meme site ICryeverytime.com,
where BibleThump emotes
rained down the screen
accompanied by a timer and sad
music.
Twitch
BabyRage
This emote is used when the
streamer (or someone in the
chat) is throwing a tantrum,
mainly as a way to mock them
for losing their temper for no
apparent reason. If a streamer is
losing the game and getting
overly angry about it, expect to
see the BabyRage emote appear
in the chat. Itʼs also used if
someone in the chat starts
behaving immaturely a er
having a request denied by the
streamer, for example.
Hellos and goodbyes
Twitch
HeyGuys
Frequently used as a greeting
when an audience member turns
up to a channel, to say hi to the
streamer and others in the chat.
It was created by Twitch
employee Selen Akay in 2014 as
a way of saying hello when the
platform had no generic
greeting emote. It gets posted
millions of times every day,
thanks to its suitably goofy
expression.
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Twitch
VoHiYO
VoHiYo is widely used as a
greeting, and also as a general
reference to anime, JRPGs or
Japanese culture in general. Itʼs
also sometimes used at the end
of an explanation about
something technical, or if
something gets fixed. One of the
original emotes on the platform,
the image is based on Twitch
moderator Volary and was added
back in 2011.
Twitch
GayPride
This emote is used by audience
members to identify themselves
as part of the LGBT+ community
or to show their support for it. In
2020, Twitch also released a
series of 25 emotes for Pride
month, with a portion of user
donations going to nonprofits
The Trevor Project and The
Black Justice Coalition.
Twitch
SeemsGood
Used as a term of general
agreement, SeemsGood is the
go-to thumbs-up emote. It can
be used sincerely to say 'good
job' to the streamer, or in a
sarcastic way if someone says
something slightly off-colour.
Twitch
peepoHey
Peepo is a poorly-drawn
variation of Pepe, and one of his
most popular emotes is
peepoHey. Itʼs o en used as a
way to wave goodbye to the
streamer at the end of a stream.
The awkward moments
Twitch
haHAA
This is used as the go-to cringe
emote, employed as a kind of
nervous laughter when
something really awkward is
happening on the stream. Itʼs
taken from a clip featuring the
character Shy Ronnie from a 2010
episode of Saturday Night Live,
appearing alongside Rihanna.
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Twitch
Jebaited
Used when someone has been
baited or tricked into a certain
situation. If the audience in the
chat manages to persuade the
streamer to fall for something,
or fools them into believing an
obvious joke, then expect the
Jebaited emote to be rolled out
liberally. Itʼs a sign that the
streamer has been successfully
tricked, and especially if the joke
was obvious.
Twitch
pepega
This distorted version of Pepe
the Frog (and the word 'pepega'
used as an adjective) is used to
describe stupidity. (When used
pejoratively, the word is a slur
for mentally handicapped
people.) The chat will use it if
the streamer says something
inconsiderate or offensive to
show their disagreement, and itʼs
o en used if the streamer or an
opponent in the game makes a
silly mistake.
Twitch
FailFish
The ultimate facepalm emote,
FailFish is used when a streamer
makes a mistake in the game or
is forced to repeat a section. It
depicts a groan or a sigh of
disappointment, most o en in
response to a streamer fail.
Twitch
CoolStoryBob
Used if the streamer is telling a
particularly inane story,
CoolStoryBob shows the late
painter Bob Ross with his head
tilted to one side – perfectly
illustrating an expression of
mock interest. Expect to see this
when the host goes off on a long
and rambling chat about
something that is a little self-
indulgent, or just plain boring.
Twitch's version of 'cool story
bro'.
A word of war ning
The meaning and usage of these emotes is in constant flux, and they can sometimes be hijacked or co-opted for toxic
purposes. This is o en context-dependent, but sometimes results in emotes getting banned from some (but not all)
platforms and channels. Always check and double-check before using.

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