What Does "GG EZ" Mean in Online Gaming?

"GG EZ" stands for "good game, easy" and is used mainly in online gaming settings as a boastful taunt aimed at the losing side. While on the surface it may look like shorthand for "good game", the addition of "ez" turns it into provocative trash talk that is widely frowned upon.

The Origins of a Toxic Term

"GG EZ" emerged in the 1990s alongside the rising popularity of competitive online games like Quake, Diablo, and StarCraft. The "gg" component comes from the more sportsmanlike term "good game", which had been used since at least the 1980s as a respectful way for competitors to acknowledge a well-fought contest.

But adding the "ez" negates any sense of respect, transforming it into a rude boast about having an easy victory. Some of the earliest known usages appeared in the Quake community, before spreading to other nascent esports scenes:

"Not sure when people started using ‘GG EZ’ to be obnoxious after winning, but it sure caught on quick." – Dennis "Thresh" Fong, early competitive Quake player

In those early days of unfamiliar online competition, this kind of trash talk often went unchecked and became widely used by immature players looking to provoke a reaction.

Why the Term is So Toxic

Boastful taunts like "GG EZ" promote hostility between players and are antithetical to principles of good sportsmanship. Specific reasons this phrase is considered highly toxic include:

• Demeans the losing opponent: Rubbing in an easy win violates norms of respect.
• Suggests a lack of effort: Implying victory was effortless reduces the winner‘s own achievement.
• Promotes further toxicity: Preemptive taunting tilts competitors and breeds resentment.
• Provokes angry reactions: Receiving "GG EZ" often spurs retaliatory toxic behavior.

Studies have also shown that taunting and trash talk have psychological impacts including reduced motivation, lower self-confidence, and poorer objective performance.

So in short, using this term damages perceptions on both sides and enables toxic cultures.

Comparing Toxicity Levels Across Gaming Genres

Thetaboo around "GGEZ" holds across most major competitive gaming genres today, but its prevelance and exact connotations do vary significantly. For example:

• MOBAs like League of Legends: High toxicity rates, with provocative GG EZ usage sadly common.
• MMORPGs like World of Warcraft: Generally lower toxicity and rarer usage of trash talk taunts like this.
• FPS games like Overwatch: Toxicity issues abound, with GG EZ occurring but milder terms more prevalent.

These genre differences likely come down to game length, team reliance, age demographics, chat functionality and other structural factors that influence player attitudes.

But regardless where it emerges, "GG EZ" promotes the same unsportsmanlike standards contrary to most gamers‘ sense of fair play.

How Games Companies Are Curbing Toxic Speech

In response to ongoing issues around hostility and fair play, influential game publishers have implemented novel interventions aimed at curbing toxic speech in their online communities:

• Blizzard: Their 2016 "GG EZ" filter in Overwatch now swaps out those phrases with humorous self-deprecating messages to encourage reflection.
• Riot Games: Upgraded reporting functions and machine learning now issue instant feedback for abusive behaviors like egregious taunting.

And these experimental approaches seem to be helping. For instance Overwatch saw measurable reductions in toxicity complaints on community forums within months.

So while trash talk remains an issue, publishers are ramping up efforts to promote healthy competition – the ideal behind good sportsmanship slang terms like "good game" itself.