What Does Bot Mean In Gaming? (Explained!)

A bot in gaming is a character which is controlled by an AI, or the “computer”, rather than by an actual player. This term can be applied in slightly different ways in different contexts. It could just be stand-ins for player characters in ill-populated multiplayer games, or automated player characters running for an advantage.

So, while the broad meaning of a bot is a character controlled by something other than the player, it can get a bit messy to understand how bots work in different games.

Sometimes they are a perfectly natural part of the game—other times, it’s outright cheating.

Let’s find out more.

In This Article

What does bot stand for in gaming?

The word bot itself just means something controlled by some agency other than the player.

There are a number of forms that this can take, but in general terms it just means something which is controlled either by the game’s AI or by cheat programs run by players.

There are a number of advantages that some players seek to gain by using bots.

But let’s first look at the former meaning in more detail.

Bots in a game could mean any non-player character in the game.

In the single player mode, this could mean any enemy.

They are called bots because they are controlled by the game and their own internal logic, rather than by a player.

Usually, though, this is not the way the word bot is used.

More commonly, it is used in multiplayer settings, where there perhaps aren’t enough players to make up a full game.

Sometimes, the game will populate the match with “bots” to keep it fair and balanced.

These are non-player characters who still use all the same items and abilities as bots.

You can also use bots to play offline multiplayer games.

This is generally what people mean by bot in multiplayer games.

A non-player character that attempts to mimic how a human would play the game.

However, one other meaning it can have is related to players who make use of cheat engines or programs of some form or another to have player characters do tasks in-game without them actually doing anything.

They may do this to farm a particular item or experience so that they can progress in the game without actually spending the time on it.

Naturally, this is generally looked down upon by the communities and is considered cheating—one of the worst kinds of cheating.

Where does this term come from?

Where does bot come from in gaming?

We aren’t sure which game first made use of the term bot.

However, it’s quite clear to see where it comes from etymologically. It’s simply a shortened form of the word robot.

It means that the player is being controlled by an automatic function in the game, like a robot and its programming.

These were in use in the earliest FPS games such as Doom and Quake, and have always had utility ever since.

FPS = First Person Shooter

The term has always been used, then, more or less, both by developers within the industry and players of the games.

Is it an insult to be called a bot?

Is bot an insult?

It depends on how it’s used, really, but generally, it is not meant to be taken cordially.

If you simply call someone a bot, you are saying you don’t believe they are a real person, or perhaps that you think they are using bots or botting tools to give yourself an advantage. So, in that sense, it would be an insult.

Of course, though, it isn’t always an insult.

Bots are a perfectly normal part of many games, even multiplayer games, so in that sense, it isn’t always an insult.

It is used also outside of gaming, on social media, if someone is responding to something.

They may be called a “bot” because they are expressing vacuum-packed and received opinions that they don’t really hold.

What does bot mean in FPS games?

In FPS games, a bot is usually just a player controlled by the computer which is attempting to mimic human play.

They are usually, as I said, used to fill up games that do not have enough players and to keep things fair and balanced.

However, it can also refer to things like aimbot.

This is a cheat tool which means the computer instantly aims at enemy players, so the player doesn’t have to do it themselves.

What does bot mean in MMO games?

Bots in MMOs are generally a bigger problem.

Take Runescape, for example.

Here, some players use armies of bot accounts to harvest materials for them, giving them a huge advantage in the game since they can take a long time to gather.

This is outright banned by the developers and historically has caused huge issues for the game.

While there may be other uses for the term bot in MMOs generally, this is usually what this refers to—a huge problem because of the nature and ongoing way that these games function.

So, something being a bot can mean very different things depending on which game you are playing.

A lot of the time, bots are a very normal and permissible part of the game, and everyone makes use of them in some way or another.

On the other hand, it can be one of the most egregious forms of cheating in other games—so it really depends on where you are in the gaming world!

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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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