AFK is commonly used in online or multiplayer games and not only. The term is also popular outside of the gaming sphere, so what is AFK in gaming?
AFK stands for Away From Keyboard, and in gaming, it means when somebody left their PC or gaming console (even though the console doesn’t have a keyboard) to do something around the house, usually go to the bathroom, pick up a package from the courier, or just roam around the house, leaving their teammates for dead.
Example of AFK in gaming
“Thomas is AFK again, let’s jump from the plane at the far end of the map so we keep our squad united until he gets back.” – in a PUBG match.
or
“Guys, I’m going to be AFK for 15 minutes, play a match or two without me.”
Here is a rather funny and wholesome AFK moment when a cat takes over the master’s seat and clutches in League of Legends.
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As previously mentioned, the term AFK, or away from the keyboard is not just used in gaming, but in corporate or computer lingo as well. The term dates back to the early 90s when multiplayer computer games started to take off.
To sum it all up, AFK in gaming is short for away from keyboard and it’s used to describe someone that is idle in their team and does not respond in chat or voice.
