What Does BM Mean In Gaming? (Answered!)

BM stands for “bad manners” in gaming. This refers to people who are sore losers or indeed sore winners in competitive multiplayer games. People who are rude and obnoxious, who don’t have the proper manners you would expect. Despite perceptions, manners and being a good sport are very important in gaming!

So, BM has a very clear meaning in gaming, and is usually reserved for online multiplayer games in which real people play against each other.

While you might think that gaming cultures tend to be universally toxic, this is not the case—most gamers expect good manners out of even their competitors!

Let’s find out more.

In This Article

What does BM stand for in gaming?

BM stands for “bad manners” in gaming.

This term has a very wide use and is used by a variety of different gamers, but the sense is always broadly the same.

As I said, it is generally reserved for multiplayer games, and not something you would see or hear in a single-player game.

If someone has BM in a game, then they are behaving in an obnoxious or unpleasant way that is not in line with how the game is supposed to be enjoyed and played.

There are any number of online games where this might be the case, and you might be wondering how exactly someone could have bad manners over a video game.

Well, the obvious way is if they are using voice chat.

This way, they can say anything, and though they can of course get banned and reported depending on the game, this doesn’t always happen.

Someone doesn’t have to be breaking any actual rules for them to have BM.

For example, in a multiplayer game such as Call of Duty where the aim is to kill other players, BM might include things like dancing on the player’s “body” after you’ve killed them.

Some people do this by crouching up and down or jumping.

This is a way of mocking the other person for having died, rather than just taking the win and moving on.

“Did you see that guy jump on me? BM man!” for example.

Now, you might think that this is just the way that online gaming communities work, but this isn’t really true.

Most communities are friendly and enjoy chatting with one another, and don’t wish to be rude!

Where does this term come from, then?

Where does BM come from in gaming?

We aren’t sure exactly where or when this term started being used.

That said, we can see that it was in pretty widespread use by the mid to late 2000s, so we can guess that it probably came sometime before that, at least.

We can see that it was popularized by a number of important titles in the early and mid-2000s.

These included games like Halo, which featured thriving online multiplayer scenes, and also the Call of Duty series, which drove the popularity of a great many such gaming terms.

Being able to say things more quickly in a game chat is always something that gamers are looking to do.

If you want to quickly tell someone that they have bad manners between dying and respawning in a game, saying “BM” is a lot easier than typing out “bad manners”.

How do you respond if someone says you have BM, then?

How do you respond to BM?

Well, it depends on the circumstances, but you may want to consider your behavior!

Even as harmless as you might have thought it was, it might bother some people.

Again, you might not really care, but there’s really no point in being overly competitive and a bad sport in these sorts of games.

They are, after all, just games!

If someone says you have BM, just say sorry—unless you are really adamant that you didn’t do anything that showed you have bad manners.

What does BM mean in FPS games?

BM has been largely popularized by FPS games, as I mentioned, such as Halo and Call of Duty.

This is largely because there are many ways to have bad manners in these games without even having a voice chat option.

As I said, one of the most common is dancing on the body of someone you beat, or what is known as “teabagging”.

This involves crouching up and down on a person after you’ve killed them as a way of mocking them.

What does it mean in Fortnite?

What does BM mean in Fortnite?

BM still means bad manners in Fortnite.

Though the actions that lead to this might be a bit different, the basic gist is still the same.

It might be doing emotes too often, or just the way you talk to the competitors between games.

Again, no matter how hairy things get, it’s just a game, and there’s no need to be rude!

Fortnite does definitely encourage some playful banter and taunting, though, so it’s certainly a different culture there than it may be in other games.

So, if someone tells you you have BM in a game, then it may be time to reflect on your behavior!

Though we can’t see the other person’s face, and often can’t even hear their voice, in online gaming, this doesn’t mean we have the right to be rude or be a bad sport.

Everyone is there to have fun, and you’ll only ostracize yourself by being rude!

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Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

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