Quick definition:A short animation, gesture or expression that a player can trigger for their character, used to communicate feelings, greet others, celebrate or simply have fun.
Meaning
An emote is a way for a player to express something through a character without typing or speaking. It may be a wave, a bow, a dance, a laugh or a cheeky gesture, and it is usually chosen from a menu, a wheel of options or a set of assigned buttons.
Emotes support social play. They allow quick greetings, celebrations and thanks, and they let players from different countries communicate without sharing a language. In team games, a simple gesture can also act as a signal, such as pointing towards a danger or asking teammates to follow.
Many modern games treat emotes as collectable cosmetics, with large libraries of dances available through purchase or progression. Because they can be used to taunt opponents, they are also a common subject of etiquette debates in online communities and forums.
Origin:Emote is a clipped form of emotion. It is closely tied to text-based online worlds and chat systems, where players typed a command to describe an action or feeling, such as waving or laughing, instead of speaking. Graphical online games kept the word and turned the typed commands into animated gestures.
Example:After winning a tense match, Lena presses a button and her character performs a victory dance in front of the defeated team. Her friends laugh and reply with a wave of their own. Later, the server administrator reminds everyone that mocking opponents with emotes is discouraged in the rules, since some players find it rude.
Did you know?Emotes are often sold or earned as cosmetic items, such as new dances and gestures. In some games, they also have a practical use, allowing players who cannot use voice chat to signal friendliness, ask for help or call for a retreat.
