A few internet emotes or memes came from when the internet was still in its early ages. And one of those is the PogChamp emote. You always see this emote spam in chat, but what does it mean? In this article, we will tackle the PogChamp meaning, its history, changes, and why it’s still one of the most iconic emotes of all time.
The PogChamp meaning is all about the hype, shock, or amazement. It is the internet’s version of yelling “WOW!” or “that was insane!” in emote or text form. The classic use of PogChamp reacting to something hype that is happening live on stream, like a clutch play or an unexpected game announcement.
People also use shorter versions like “Poggers” or just “Pog” that gives that same hype vibe without typing the whole word or the emote. These variations have spread far beyond Twitch and can now be seen across social platforms whenever someone wants to show excitement or big energy.
Credits: Ryan Gutierrez
It started way back to 2010, with a YouTube video from Cross CounterTV. Streamer and professional gamer Ryan “Goootecks” Gutierrez reacts with a hilarious goofy face after a cameraman bumps into a tripod. His expression was so meme-worthy that it eventually became a staple emote of internet culture.
Goootecks’ hilarious goofy face became so popular that it was added to Twitch and was called PogChamp. The name comes from “Pog Champion,” a phrase tied to a Pogs promotional video featuring Gootecks winning a game, which was popular with gamers around that time.
And by the mid-2010s, the PogChamp emote became one of the most used and iconic emotes on the platform.
The Twitch chat is full of emotions, it’s fast and it gets loud. The PogChamp emote is perfect for viewers who want to show the hype in moments that words alone cannot capture. Imagine a big tournament match when a player pulls off a crazy clutch. A streamer nails the perfect trick in a speedrun. Something unexpected drops in a trailer. In every case, chat is filled with PogChamp.
In addition, this emote can be used sarcastically, too, when something unexpectedly goofy or ridiculous happens. Chat loves twisting hype into humor just as much as celebrating achievement.
Pog, Poggers and other variations eventually followed and branched off from the PogChamp name and the excitement it created and have become their own unique forms of chat slang.
The term “Pog” can be considered the base form of the expression for instant hype.
“Poggers” amplifies the hype level above that of “Pog”.
“PogU” takes the hype level above that of “Poggers”.
“My Little PogChamp” is a fun, playful version of PogChamp, similar to how My Little Pony has been used as a meme.
All these versions were born from chat culture and have evolved to become their own slang beyond Twitch.
Twitch pulled the original PogChamp emote of Gootecks’ face after he made an inflammatory public comment. They didn’t want the emote tied to his identity anymore.
Instead of pulling PogChamp, Twitch started using a rotation of faces as a temporary version of the emote. In the end, they let the Twitch community decide what would be the next permanent version of the PogChamp emote. The permanent version ended up being a Komodo Dragon. It’s not perfect at first, but the viewers loved it and the PogChamp meaning remains the same.
Credits: Twitch
Esports are gaming tournaments are literally designed for the type of PogChamp moments that happen during a match. From clutch plays, insane plays and the “oh my god” moments when you think someone can’t do something and then they do, all those things cause huge waves of PogChamps in chat. When someone does something absolutely amazing in the game, everyone is going to react immediately, and universally, with PogChamp.
From non-competitive matches (streamers) to viewing, anyone uses PogChamp for anything great. Beating a boss for the first time. Pulling off a crazy strategy. Glitches that turn into miracles. If it feels like hype, the emote is there.
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Even though PogChamp was affected by many of the changes and dramas at Twitch, and internet trends come and go, PogChamp continues to be important today. It has continued to represent the collective excitement between the viewers and streamers or players for over a decade since it first appeared, and is still one of the most recognizable emotes in chat.
The internet really moves in mysterious ways. It started as a goofy reaction face, now become an iconic face of chat reactions. It survived the changes, the drama, and we’ll definitely lose our minds and spam PogChamp when we see the trailers for Half Life 3 or Bloodborne 2.
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