GG

GG stands for “good game.” Players type it at the end of a match to show good sportsmanship, win or lose. It has also picked up a second meaning: “it’s over,” as in a situation that can’t be saved.

What does GG mean?

In online games, typing “gg” when a match ends is the digital version of shaking hands. It has been standard etiquette since the early days of online multiplayer games, and it is still the polite thing to do in everything from chess apps to competitive shooters.

Outside the end-of-match ritual, GG often means a situation is hopeless: “I forgot my essay was due today. GG.” Typed early in a match, it can mean a team has given up.

How to use it

• “Close one. GG, well played.”
• “Our tank just disconnected. GG.”
• “My phone fell in the bath. GG.”
• “GG WP, rematch?”

GG variations

• GG WP: “good game, well played,” extra polite.
• GG EZ: “good game, easy,” a deliberate insult that implies the other side was no challenge. Many games now filter it out.
• GGs: plural, sometimes said to a whole lobby.
• GG go next: the match is lost, let’s move on.

Related terms

• GLHF: “good luck, have fun,” said at the start of a match
• EZ: “easy,” often used to taunt
• git gud: stop complaining and improve
• rage quit: leaving a game in anger
• toxic: hostile, unsportsmanlike behavior

See more terms like this in our gaming slang dictionary.