What Does “AFK” Means?
If you’re new to gaming, you might have encountered the term AFK and wondered what it means. AFK is an acronym for “away from keyboard”. It’s commonly used in multiplayer games and chat rooms to let other players know that you will be unavailable for a short time (away from keyboard), or to quickly explain an idle period.
AFK originated in online IRC chatrooms in the 1980-90s, where people used it to politely inform others that they would be away from their computer. Later, it became popular in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs), like World of Warcraft, where it was used to describe players who were inactive or not currently playing.
AFK can be used in different ways depending on the context and the game. For example, you can type “brb afk” to let your teammates know that you’ll be right back, or you can say that someone is AFK if their in-game avatar is frozen for a while . Sometimes, players will also inform the opposite team when a player is AFK, which can speed up matches if they’re looking for the final player.
AFK is a useful term to communicate with other players and avoid misunderstandings or frustrations. However, you should try not to go AFK too often or for too long, as it can be annoying and disadvantageous for your team. If you have to go AFK, make sure to let others know beforehand and come back as soon as possible.
