stream snipe
/striːm snaɪp/
CommonJoining a streamer's game match on purpose by using their live broadcast to find and target them.
Widely considered poor behavior. Most streamers add a stream delay specifically to prevent this. The intent can range from a playful encounter to genuine harassment.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | bro is definitely stream sniping, he's been following me around for 3 games now | The streamer believes the same player is using the broadcast to track their location. | x, 2024 |
| 02 | added a 3 minute delay after getting stream sniped every single match last week | The streamer responded to repeated targeting by adding broadcast delay. | tiktok, 2023 |
| 03 | i got stream sniped by a guy who then just waved at me and left. ok then | A lighthearted encounter where the sniper had no harmful intent. | reddit, 2022 |
| 04 | some streamers ban people in their chat who say they're queuing the same server. that's just smart anti-snipe policy | Describing a moderation strategy to prevent people from attempting stream sniping. | x, 2023 |
Use it when
- Someone joins a streamer's game specifically to kill or harass them.
- Describing how a streamer uses stream delay to avoid being targeted.
- Accusing someone of deliberately finding and targeting a streamer in a match.
Do not use it when
- You happened to end up in the same lobby as a streamer by chance.
- You mean general harassment outside of games.
Variations and related forms
Origin and context
Emerged alongside the growth of live game streaming on Twitch in the early 2010s. The term borrows sniping from gaming, where it means targeting a specific person. Became widespread as Battle Royale games made it easier to find specific players in public lobbies.
- First seen
- early-2010s
- Confidence
- medium
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/stream-snipeUpdated: 2026-08-29License: CC BY 4.0