Griefing means deliberately harassing or ruining the experience of other players in an online game, usually for amusement, not to win or progress.
A person who does this is a griefer. The behavior is not the same as playing badly, because it is intentional: blocking teammates, destroying shared builds, sabotaging objectives or killing allies on purpose.
How players use it
- "That guy is griefing, he keeps body-blocking us at the door."
- "Reported for team griefing."
- "Someone griefed our base while we were offline."
- "He is not bad, he is griefing. Look at the damage he dealt to us."
Common forms of griefing
- Team killing or team damage on purpose in games with friendly fire.
- Blocking teammates with bodies, vehicles or objects.
- Sabotaging objectives, for example giving up points or leaving an objective undefended deliberately.
- Destroying or stealing in shared-world games, such as wrecking another player's build or looting teammates' storage.
- Spawn trapping or harassment where the goal is to stop others from playing at all.
Griefing versus other bad behavior
- A teammate who plays badly is not griefing. A mistake is not intent.
- An AFK player may be idle, not malicious, though both leave the team short.
- Boosting and cheating break rules for personal gain; griefing is mainly about harming others.
- Trash talk alone is toxicity. It becomes griefing when it comes with actions that sabotage the game.
Because intent is hard to see, a griefing report works best when it points to specific actions.
What to do if you meet a griefer
- Do not retaliate. Griefers want a reaction, and retaliation can get you penalized too.
- Mute them and use the game's report feature. Include the time and what happened.
- Save a clip or screenshot if the game allows it.
- Leave if you can do so without a penalty, or finish the match calmly.
- Try to play with people you know. Finding a regular group through find players lowers your chances of meeting griefers.
Most games treat griefing as a violation of their rules and may punish it with chat bans, queue bans or account suspensions, depending on the game.
Related terms
FAQ
Is griefing bannable?
Usually yes. Most online games list intentional sabotage, such as team killing or throwing, in their rules, and repeated reports can lead to penalties up to account suspension.
What is the difference between griefing and trolling?
The two overlap. Trolling is provoking players for a reaction, often in chat. Griefing is about actions in the game that spoil it for others.
Where does the word come from?
It comes from the phrase "to cause grief", meaning to cause distress. A griefer is someone whose aim is to cause other players grief rather than to win.