Stream Sniping

What does Stream Sniping mean?

Intentionally playing a game against a streamer

Stream Sniping is a tactic where a player intentionally matches up against a live-streamer with the intention of gaining an unfair advantage. They achieve this by watching the streamer’s live feed to gain insights about the game or match in progress. This sneaky tactic is like a more sinister form of ghosting, where not only are they spying on the streamer’s moves but also targeting them specifically.

For instance, if you are a player of Magic: The Gathering, you might attempt to stream snipe to secure an easy victory. By doing so, you would know exactly what cards the streamer has, giving you a significant advantage. The term “sniping” here is used to denote the act of targeting the streamer specifically because their live feed makes them vulnerable.

Most players, however, consider stream sniping to be an act of cheating. Some games even enforce strict penalties against those caught in the act. For instance, popular game, PUBG, often forbids stream snipers, considering the act as a form of harassment.

Streamers can deter stream snipers by introducing a delay in their live stream. This makes sure that the information stream snipers receive is always slightly outdated. However, this comes at the expense of the streamer’s real-time engagement with their audience.

Example for using ‘Stream Sniping’ in a conversation

Hey, did you see that video of the streamer getting defeated in Fortnite?

Yeah, I heard it was because of stream sniping.

What’s stream sniping?

It’s when someone purposely plays against a streamer to watch their stream and use that information to beat them.