What Does BR Mean In Gaming? (Revealed!)

BR refers to Battle Royale in gaming. It can also stand for “bathroom”, and is used when someone is taking a break. Both uses are quite common, although Battle Royale is certainly the more popular option now as those games take over the entire industry. BR is now its very own genre.

So, BR can have a couple of meanings.

It should be fairly straightforward to work out from context which sense is meant, but as I say, the bathroom abbreviation really is not as common now.

People tend to just say they are AFK or they’ll BRB.

Let’s find out more.

In This Article

What does BR stand for in gaming?

BR, most commonly, stands for Battle Royale in gaming.

This is today a genre of video games unto itself, with more and more developers looking to get in on the popularity of this genre.

The popularity was spawned, in large part, by the game Player Unknown Battle Grounds, or PUBG for short, which was released in 2017.

This was the first of its kind, a massive, multiplayer arena game in which players fought to the death and the last person surviving would win.

This is in contrast to games like Call of Duty where you would be revived on death.

It made for a very different experience, that felt more akin to The Hunger Games than to any other game that was popular at the time.

Since then, as I say, the battle royale genre has become incredibly popular and spawned countless other new games, from indie and AAA developers alike.

So, this is where the term “BR” has arisen from.

A need to describe, in shorthand, the burgeoning new genre which is spawning so many new games all the time.

“Have you heard about this new game? It’s a BR apparently,” for example.

On the other hand, “BR” can also refer to a game mode within a larger game in which players fight to the death and are eliminated permanently when they die.

Many games have such a game mode within them now, even if they are not outright BR games.

But BR can have another meaning, as I said, and that is an initialism for the bathroom.

Players might use this to let their teammates or friends know they’re going to the bathroom.

“Hold up, I just gotta go to the BR” for example.

This use is a lot less common, though, and people tend to just say “BRB” or some equivalent.

Where does BR come from in gaming?

So, where does this term come from?

Well, as I say, as far as gaming is concerned, this term started being used after the release of PUBG.

The genre came into its own after that, and was quickly named and shortened to give us BR.

So, this probably happened in 2017/18, and was a widely popular term by around 2019.

However, we can see quite clearly where the term “battle royale” comes from.

In 2000, a Japanese film named Batoru Rowaiaru was released—or Battle Royale in English.

This, too, was the inspiration for the book series The Hunger Games, which also popularized the idea at the time that PUBG was released.

In the film, school students must fight to the death, and the last one alive is the winner.

This eventually, almost 20 years later, came to be the namesake for an entire genre of video games!

What does BR mean in chat?

So, if you see BR in game chat, then the likelihood is perhaps that someone is talking about going to the bathroom.

Again, you’ll probably be able to tell from context, but it’s more likely that someone would be saying bathroom than battle royale in game chat.

That said, both are of course possible—two people may simply be talking about a battle royale game!

What does BR mean in Apex?

So, I have mentioned PUBG, which is an entire game of battle royale, though the battle royale can take different forms and have different rules depending on how you play.

But the other side of this coin is that now, almost all competitive multiplayer games are scrambling to add some kind of Battle Royal mode for players to enjoy.

This is what BR means in the popular FPS Apex Legends.

Certain maps and game modes are BR, whereas most are not—so it’s important to make that distinction.

Whereas you normally play by dying and respawning straight away, one death in BR mode and it’s all over.

What does BR stand for in League?

Similarly is the case with League of Legends.

It can refer to battle royale modes of the game.

However, it is also used to describe a player who everyone thinks is about to do badly in the match, though it isn’t really clear what the letters stand for in this case.

In team games like this where cooperation is really important, everyone is more likely to complain when one player can’t or won’t pull their weight!

So, there are a few possibilities for what this might mean.

That said, there really is unlikely to be any confusion about what the term means.

For the most part, gamers use this term to describe a certain genre of game in shorthand rather than typing out the whole thing.

Given their popularity, everyone understands what BR is, so there’s no need to say Battle Royale—but it might also mean bathroom!

More in Gaming Meanings

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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