What is DPS in Gaming? – A Beginner’s Guide
There are many terms that get thrown around in the gaming world, and sometimes it can be difficult to keep up. Like any community, the gaming community has its own inside jokes, shorthand, and language, like what does OG mean in gaming, or what does AFK mean?
If you’re new to the community or just curious about some of the terminology, this guide is for you. In this article, we’ll take a look at what is DPS in gaming and how it’s used. Also, we will talk about other terms used with DPS in most games.
What is DPS in gaming?
The term DPS stands for “damage per second.” It’s a measure of how much damage a character can deal in a given amount of time. The higher the DPS characters, the more damage character can deal with in a shorter time.
In short, the damage output of a character is DPS.
There are many DPS terms. Sometimes, it is abbreviated as simply “dps.” You might see it written as “D/s,
DPS is often taken as a measure of a character’s power or strength for dealing damage. In some cases, gamers use it to compare two characters or two builds (sets of characters) to see which one is more powerful.
It’s important to note that DPS is not the only measure of a character’s strength. For example, a character with high burst DPS but low health would probably not last very long in a fight. A low DPS character with high health and defense might be able to tank (absorb damage without dying) better than a character with high DPS.
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How is DPS Used?
DPS is often used as a goal to strive for when creating or leveling a character. Players will often look at the DPS of their character and compare it to other players’ or characters’ DPS to see where they stack up.
In some cases, players might min-max (try to optimize) their characters for DPS by choosing gear, abilities, and stats that all contribute to higher DPS.
While DPS is a useful measure for comparing characters, it’s important to keep in mind that it’s not the only thing that matters. In the end, it’s up to the player to decide what kind of character they want to play and what their goals are.
Examples to Show How DPS is Used
To illustrate, let’s say you’re playing an MMO and you’re interested in doing some PvE (player vs. environment) content. In this case, you might want to prioritize DPS over other things because the goal is to kill enemies as quickly as possible.
On the other hand, if you’re interested in PvP (player vs. player) content, you might want to build a character that can survive in fights longer or deal high burst damage (a lot of damage in a short period of time).
The highest DPS class in World of Warcraft as of Battle for Azeroth is the Hunter followed by the Rogue, then the Warrior. In general, Rogues, Warriors, and Hunters tend to do the most damage per second in PvE.
In the end, it’s up to you or other team members to decide what kind of character you want to play and what your goals are.
Just remember that DPS is only one aspect of a character’s power and not the be-all, end-all.
DPS Heroes in Gaming
There are many characters in games that are considered DPS heroes in gaming, but some of the more popular ones include:
Tracer from Overwatch
Tracer is a Damage class hero in the popular game Overwatch. She is a fast and mobile character that excels at flanking (attacking from the side or rear) and getting behind enemy lines.
Genji from Overwatch
Genji is another Damage class hero in Overwatch. He is a cyborg ninja that uses his cybernetic enhancements to great effect.
Pharah from Overwatch
Pharah is another Damage class hero in Overwatch. She is a rocket-launching Egyptian air assault trooper that specializes in aerial combat.
Reaper from Overwatch
Reaper is another Damage class hero in Overwatch. He is a vigilante that uses his dual shotguns to deal massive damage up close.
McCree from Overwatch
McCree is another Damage class hero in Overwatch. He is a former member of an outlaw gang turned lawman that specializes in long-range combat.
Hanzo from Overwatch
Hanzo is a Defense class hero in Overwatch. He is a Japanese archer that uses his bow and arrow to deal damage from a distance.
Widowmaker from Overwatch
Widowmaker is an Assault class hero in Overwatch. She is a French sniper that excels at long-range combat and picking off enemy heroes.
Doomfist from Overwatch
Doomfist is a Damage class hero in Overwatch. He is a Nigerian martial artist that uses his fists and weapons to deal massive damage up close.
Sombra from Overwatch
Sombra is an Infiltration class hero in Overwatch. She is a Mexican hacker that specializes in stealth and espionage.
Additional Resources
I hope this article helped clear up what Damage Per Second or simply DPS is in gaming. If you’re interested in learning more about gaming lingo, check out our other guides, like what wp means in gaming and what POG means in gaming.
As always, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below.
