Gaming Glossary: FPS, Ping, Gacha, Battle Pass and More
A plain glossary of the terms you will see in every mobile game: FPS, ping, gacha, battle pass, skin, F2P, pay to win, nerf, buff and player ID.
Whether you play or you buy top-ups for someone who does, these terms come up constantly. Here they are without the jargon.
Performance and connection
- FPS (frames per second): how many images the game draws per second. Higher is smoother. Confusingly, the same acronym also means "first-person shooter".
- Ping / latency: how long your signal takes to reach the server and come back. High ping is why you "teleport" and shots do not register.
- Lag: the general symptom of slowness, whether from connection or device.
- Server / region: where the machine running the match is. Farther away means higher ping.
Money and items
- Skin: a cosmetic item. Changes appearance, not abilities.
- Battle pass: seasonal rewards unlocked by playing, usually with a free track and a paid one.
- Gacha: a random reward — you pay for a pull without knowing the outcome. From Japanese capsule machines.
- In-game currency: diamonds, gems, CP, UC, Robux — each game has its own, and it is what you buy when topping up.
- Bundle: a package combining several items for one price.
How games are described
- F2P (free to play): free to install, monetized through optional purchases.
- Pay to win: paying grants real competitive advantage, not just looks.
- Grind / farming: repeating tasks to gather resources or level up.
- Meta: the strategies or characters that are strongest right now.
Updates and community
- Nerf: weakening something in an update. Buff: strengthening it.
- Lobby: the waiting room before a match starts.
- UID / player ID: your identifying number. It is what a top-up needs — never your password.
- Cross-play: playing across different platforms (mobile, console, PC).
The term that matters most when buying
The player ID. It is public and lets a top-up reach your account without anyone touching it. If someone asks for your password on a game that tops up by ID, something is wrong.
Frequently asked questions
What is FPS?
Frames per second — how many images the game draws each second. Higher means smoother motion. Note the same acronym also names the first-person shooter genre.
What is a gacha?
A random reward system: you pay for a pull without knowing what you get. The name comes from Japanese capsule toy machines.
What does pay to win mean?
A game where paying gives a real competitive advantage, not just cosmetics. It is the most common criticism of a monetization model.
What is the difference between nerf and buff?
A nerf weakens something in an update; a buff strengthens it. Developers use both to balance the game.