What is poggers?

Poggers is an internet slang term that gained popularity in the early 2010s within the Twitch.tv community. It's primarily used as an expression of excitement, hype, surprise, or enthusiasm, often in response to something particularly impressive or unexpected happening during a live stream or in a gaming context.

The term is derived from the emote of the same name, a close-up of professional Street Fighter player Ryan "Gootecks" Gutierrez with a surprised expression. The emote is typically used in Twitch chat to highlight a moment of high energy or to express shock or amazement.

Here's a breakdown of key aspects:

  • Origin: The term originates from the Gootecks emote on Twitch, derived from a photo of Ryan "Gootecks" Gutierrez.
  • Usage: It's primarily used as an expression of excitement, hype, surprise, or enthusiasm.
  • Context: It is commonly used within the Twitch community, especially during live streams and gaming-related conversations.
  • Evolution: The term has evolved to sometimes be used ironically or sarcastically, depending on the context.
  • Controversy: Due to some controversial comments and actions by the person in the emote (Gootecks), some have moved away from using "Poggers" and the emote associated with it. Alternative emotes and terms like "Pog" or variations thereof are used to maintain the expression of excitement without directly referencing the original.