With the recent victory of the PH Team TNC Pro Team at the Dota2 World ESG Championships, it has become clear that the Philippines has steadily become a formidable force to be reckoned with in the international gaming community. Whether in team games or MMORPG adventures, they’ve made their mark; hackin’ en shootin’ noypi style.

But how can you tell? With so many Southeast Asian players hidden behind the characters they are using, how can one identify a Filipino from the rest? Without the use of cameras and the obvious Philippine flag icons, here are 8 of the sure-fire ways to know that you’re playing with–and being communicated to –by #pinoygamers!

1. No-ob (Noob, but pronounced syllabically)

Probably the youngest one on the list, you can hear this being thrown around only by #pinoygamers, already irritated by the utter failure happening before their eyes. When just one syllable won’t cut it–yeah boy, it’s pinoy!

2. Dapa! (lie/lying face-down)

A Filipino word, home-town heroes use this to exclaim the satisfaction of felling an adversary –after being struck by the swift and terrible, Andres Bonifacio-inspired blow–that only a true noypi can deliver! A self-congratulatory, chest-beating description of a vanquished opponent. Yown… dapa!

3. Basag (Break)

Another Filipino word and contemporary of “Dapa”, this can be used both as a verb and a noun, but only for structures, buildings or any inanimate object that requires “rapid remodeling”. Either rallying their teammates to destroy a lane tower or to describe its ruins after being dealt with, this is a sure way to know that there are #pinoygamers in your midst.

4. OG ( On-Game)

An abbreviated, albeit grammatically-incorrect statement (should’ve been IN-, not ON-), this is a response only #pinoygamers will use to tell you to buzz-off and not disturb their game; “I’m on-game, pre”. You’ll know your online friend is Filipino, when they respond with their version of the cold, detached and uncaring text message reply of “k”.

5. SS (Special Skill)

The uniquely #pinoygamer’s term for a game character’s ultimate ability or strongest attack, used commonly in MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena)-type games and no, not by supporters of the Third Reich. You’d know your teammate wants to go in for the kill during a team fight, when he starts yelling this like the Fuhrer!

6. Imba (Imbalanced)

Yet another grammatically-incorrect entry, #pinoygamers use this to describe anything that is either excessively strong or effective, and that they may or may not like it so much. A player has a high victory record – IMBA! A character has access to border-line unfair skills – IMBA!

7. Wanshat/Wanshatan (One-Shot)

Dating all the way back to the days of Counter-Strike and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six, this classic is one of the two words that give-away #pinoygamers online, immediately. Referring to a very powerful, long-ranged weapon (usually a sniper rifle) with a manual reload system but can kill an enemy with – you guessed it – one shot. The additional “-an” suffix is used to describe the act of fighting using only these weapons, similar to how Filipino noun-to-verb grammar rules operate: barilan (shooting), sayawan (dancing), one-shot/wanshatan. BANG! Counter-Terrorists Win.

8. Com-Sat

The signature #pinoygamer give-away lingo. First used during Starcraft’s days and based on a Terran Command Center’s first add-on building: the Command Satellite (COM-SAT). With a click of a button, it can instantly reveal unexplored or fogged-up area, anywhere on the map. Because of this seemingly “unfair” advantage, #pinoygamers used this to call the act of cheating, by peaking over and looking at an opponent’s computer screen to find out their location. If you are being accused of being a building, then you’re dealing with a #pinoygamer.

Which one of these is your favorite? Tell us and share anything that I may have missed in the comments section!