What Does LFG Mean? Here’s How to Use it Properly Online

From the hyper-successful MMORPG, Everquest, to becoming an internet slang, the term LFG has been a big part of the online community for quite some time, and it only keeps growing.

However, the term is often confused with different meanings like “Looking For Group” or “Let’s Freaking Go!” So, is it a single term or are there multiple meanings to it? Can you use it in any context or reserve it for only certain occasions? Would it make sense to use it in the real world?

In this article, we will answer all those questions, explore what the term LFG refers to and how you can use it in your next Instagram post or get a group to play DOTA with you. Let’s jump in!

What Does LFG Mean?

For starters, LFG means “Looking for Group” and “Let’s Freaking Go” at the same time. Both of these terms are widely used across online platforms in different contexts and for different reasons. Let’s have a deeper look into both of them individually:

1. Looking For Group

If you’re new to the world of online gaming, you may have seen the term LFG being thrown around here and there, especially in Discord servers, group chats, and forums. That’s because one meaning of LFG is “Looking for Group” which is often used for massively multiplayer online (MMO) games to garner squads or teams for group activities.

For instance, in World of Warcraft, players might send messages like “LFG for raid,” asking for other players to join them in a raid. Similarly, you will see LFG as an extremely common term in Destiny communities since most of the game prioritizes playing with multiple people.

LFG, today, is also sometimes referred to as “Looking for Gamers.” This version of the term became prevalent in the post-modern era of multiplayer games with the advent of Overwatch, Destiny, Fortnite and COD, etc.

While this version is certainly not as popular, it’s still used in a lot of places. For all intents and purposes, Looking for Group and Looking for Gamers, both, mean the same thing.

2. Let’s Freaking Go

Another meaning of the term LFG is “Let’s Freaking Go” which is mostly used on social media platforms to show excitement, hype, or inspire others to push limits as a sort of motivation. In fact, the US women’s national soccer team used this expression in the FIFA World Cup 2019 as a rallying call for the team.

Let’s Freaking Go also has a more expletive variation where you swap out “Freaking” for the f-word which people use more in uncensored situations, such as your friends’ group chat.

For example, Chelsea football team fans would tweet, “LFG!!! Chelsea made it to the Champions League finals!” to show their excitement and enthusiasm. We all know it’s not happening.

Origins and History of LFG

The term LFG has been around for a while now, and it’s no surprise that what started as a simple communication method later turned into publicly accepted slang. Let’s dive into when LFG came into place.

1. Looking For Group

According to Urban Dictionary, the term LFG the one which refers to “Looking for Group” was first used in the critically acclaimed MMORPG, EverQuest in 2002. And since then, its connection with the gaming community has grown as a whole.

Gamers would type “LFG” in chat to connect with other players who were looking for groups or guilds to perform quests with. After all, gaming is more fun with friends.

Nowadays, LFG has become a massive part of the Fantasy and Sci-Fi communities. And to add that, there’s even an entire subreddit with around 250,000 members dedicated to LFG called r/LFG. The subreddit features posts from gamers and enthusiasts looking to find like-minded people to connect with.

As you can see in the post above, the OP is actually looking for a group for a board game and not an online game. That’s because the term LFG has been around for so long that it (arguably) predates online gaming as a whole, and likely started out back in the 90s.

So, even though online gaming popularized the term, the origins of Looking for Group actually exist in older tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons where you also need a group to play with. Over time, the term went through an evolution and adapted to current times.

2. Let’s Freaking Go

On the other hand, the meaning “Let’s Freaking Go” was a later addition to the term LFG which started around in 2010. The phrase rose to popularity through the party culture across colleges.

Let’s freaking go has become one of the most popular acronyms of today. It is used in all sorts of scenarios which makes it the most adaptable internet slang when compared to others.

How and When to Use LFG

If you want to use the term LFG, it’s important to know when to use the right meaning. Let’s take a look at how you can use LFG in your conversations and when should you use it.

↪ Find People to Connect With Using LFG

If you are playing a multiplayer game whether it’s an MMO, first-person shooter, or even DnD, you can use the term “LFG” to find people from around the world to play with.

When posting on forums we suggest being as specific as possible with what type of players you are looking for. Hence, list what experience level you want or the quest you want people’s help with.

Examples of Looking for Group

• LFG to help beat this level 50 boss.
• LFG level 20+ for the Wrath of Machine raid.
• LFG to play the Dungeons and Dragons campaign.

↪ Show Excitement and Enthusiasm With LFG

Unlike the other meaning of LFG, let’s freaking go can be used in several scenarios. You can use it to appreciate your friends for achieving something or even for personal excitement. Additionally, LFG can also be used to show support towards teams and other sports players.

Example of Let’s Freaking Go

• I just won the Tekken tournament, LFG!!!!
• LFG! You absolutely nailed that job interview.
• Haaland just scored a hat trick, LFG!

Related Terminology to LFG

Apart from LFG, the internet is full of acronyms. Some can be self-explanatory while others can be quite bizarre. Let’s have a look at some other internet slang:

• GG: The term “GG” stands for good game and is mainly used by the gaming community to appreciate a player’s good performance or after ending a fun gaming session.
• Yeet: Another common slang is Yeet, which essentially means to throw something. The acronym started as a trend after users shouted it before attempting trick shots.
• XOXO: XOXO is among the few bizarre ones on the internet and it simply means hugs and kisses and is often used to show light affection towards someone. The term is also associated with The Weeknd as the name of his record label.

LFG in the Real World

Now that you’re up to speed with all the intricacies of the term LFG, can it actually be used in the real world? The simple answer is yes. The second, more recent iteration of the term “Let’s Freaking Go” is a normal sentence that can be inserted naturally into any occasion that calls for it.

You can use it to hype up yourself or others around you, you can even use it in humorous contexts such as recording a silly video for social media. It’s literally just a slightly more aggressive version of saying “let’s go” so any place that phrase works, Let’s Freaking Go should, too. Just don’t yell LFG out loud.

Conclusion

From gaming lingo to social media slang, the trend of using LFG has come a long way from its MMO roots showing how communication has evolved in modern gaming cultures. We hope this article has helped you understand the dual meaning of the term LFG.