AoE Meaning – What Does AoE Damage Mean In Games?

AoE meaning “Area of Effect” is a term commonly used in the gaming community. Its popularity and widespread use have its origins in the most popular free crossplay games. You might have heard Dota players or some League of Legends casters use the term.

But have you ever wondered what does AOE mean in game? What is the proper usage of the term? If you don’t want to feel Sadge in gaming-related discussions, we have the answer for you.

What is AoE?

AoE is an abbreviation with several meanings, depending on the context.

Area of Effect

The abbreviation AOE was first used in the early 1970s, referring to the area and marine life affected by underwater explosives. Since then, the term has gained widespread use in gaming communities.

AoE meaning “Area Of Effect” refers to a zone and everything within it that is subject to an effect caused by a spell, ability, or any powers or weapons that were used.

Cortex's double jump in Rumble seems to be indirectly inspired by his AOE air splash ability from Twinsanity. Cute little callback lol. pic.twitter.com/ZgVsVDpzl6

— Abdul (@AbdulTheArabGuy) March 31, 2023

Age of Empires

AoE is also short for Age of Empires. It’s a real-time strategy (RTS) video game franchise that focuses on building and managing civilizations throughout various historical periods. The series is known for its engaging gameplay, historical accuracy, and strategic depth. It was developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft, beginning in the late 1990s.

Anywhere on Earth

AoE meaning Anywhere on Earth stands as a calendar designation which indicates the expiration of a time frame when the date passes everywhere on Earth. It holds practical use in helping people specify deadlines. When a given date ends everywhere on Earth without timezone calculations or Daylight saving time adjustments.

What is AoE in game?

AOE in gaming stands for “Area of Effect.” It refers to the area or zone in which a spell, ability, or attack affects targets. AOE abilities or effects typically impact multiple targets within a specific radius or area, rather than just a single target.

They are often used for crowd control, dealing damage to multiple enemies at once, or providing area-based support or healing. AOE (Area of Effect) abilities are prevalent in various types of games, especially those that involve combat, strategy, or team-based gameplay. Here’s some of the games where AOE abilities are commonly found:

Single and Multiplayer Online RPGs (MMORPGs): Games like World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy XIV, and Guild Wars 2 often feature AOE abilities for both damage and healing.
Real-Time Strategy (RTS) Games: Games like StarCraft, Age of Empires, and Warcraft III frequently incorporate AOE abilities as part of a unit’s arsenal or as spells cast by hero characters.
MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) Games: MOBAs like League of Legends and Dota 2 feature heroes or champions with AOE abilities that are crucial for team fights and controlling map objectives.
First-Person Shooters (FPS): Some FPS games like Overwatch and CS2 have characters with AOE abilities, such as explosive grenades or area-denial attacks.
Battle Royale Games: In games like Fortnite and Apex Legends, AOE abilities or weapons like explosives play a significant role in combat.
Card Games: Digital card games like Hearthstone and Magic: The Gathering Arena include cards with AOE effects that impact the board or multiple targets.
Racing Games: Even in racing games like Mario Kart, you might find AOE items or abilities like the Blue Shell, which affects multiple players in the vicinity.

Become a GOD OF diablo with Barbarian's Iron Maelstrom. Bring WAR upon your enemies as you massacre the entire screen. #diablo #diablo4 #diablopartner pic.twitter.com/S9cyBF3ddU

— David Echo (@echohack) May 18, 2023

AoE Damage Meaning

If a unit finds itself within the affected zone, it will be under the effect of the ability and have its properties altered. Most AOE abilities are either:

Damage over time (DOT) attacks
Debuffs

AoE abilities can also affect allied characters, most commonly in a positive manner. These include providing buffs within the time frame the ability is active, such as healing, shielding, offensive and defensive enhancements, and much more.

This type of knowledge is essential for increasing your League of Legends MMR, as it’s a part of the skill curve all players face. If you’re looking to improve your CSGO gameplay, you should know that utility such as Molotov cocktails, smoke and flashbang grenades affect your teammates the same way they do your opponents. This is because they are AoE meaning Area of Effect abilities.

AoE Meaning LoL

AoE is a term commonly found in MOBA titles such as League of Legends and Dota 2. So what does AOE mean in League of Legends? Well it’s most frequently used to describe champion abilities that are not targeted and affect only one enemy.

In League of Legends, there are multiple types of AoE abilities:

Chain

These Chain AoE abilities start affecting a single target when cast. But if there’s another target within the ability range, the effect will be passed on or extended to that secondary target. They are unable to bounce back to the primary target unless otherwise stated.

Brand’s ultimate and E abilities are clear examples of chain abilities that bounce back, while Ryze’s E ability and Jhin Q’s ability only transfer to the next possible target.

Conic

Conic AoE abilities originate from the caster and affect all units in a cone which spreads in a targeted direction. Syndra’s and Kassadin’s E abilities are perfect examples of this, as well as Cassiopeia’s ultimate ability.

Ground

Ground AoE abilities affect a designated area selected by the caster within the ability cast range. The effect in these areas may be instantaneous or may have a cast timer. They can also be differentiated by their duration and impact, both on enemy and allied champions.

Milio’s W ability and Nasus’ E ability function in the same way, but make a different impact.

Linear

Linear AoE abilities are commonly referred to as “skillshots”. These abilities affect an area selected by the caster in any direction. They usually have a cast timer, a range indicator and are coded as a projectile that applies its effects to units it hits within or at the end of its path.

Depending on the ability description, they can create an area along their trajectory that also applies the effects for a period of time or after a delay.

Lee Sin’s and Xerath’s Q abilities are clear examples of this. Incorporating aim, anticipation, and a lot of pattern recognition to be able to consistently land skill shots. These types of abilities massively increase the skill ceiling of MOBA games, and it’s the reason why so many people have so much time wasted on LoL.

Point Blank

Point blank AoE abilities affect the area surrounding the caster. Every effect originating from the source will be applied to targets inside the ability diameter. There’s usually little to no delay once the cast is made, allowing for great maneuverability using movement spells. Unless it’s a channeled ability, like Nunu’s ultimate ability. Clear-cut examples of point-blank AoE abilities are Amumu’s and Kennen’s ultimate abilities.

Splash

Splash AoE abilities are most commonly skill shots that hit the designated area, but the effects won’t be activated if no target is hit. If a target is hit, the primary unit takes the brunt of the damage depending on the distance traveled and the ability radius. At the same time, surrounding units take a proportionally smaller amount of splash damage that applies all effects.

Genshin Impact AoE Meaning

You’re probably wondering what does AoE mean in Genshin Impact. AoE meaning “Area of Effect” is used to describe how abilities in Genshin Impact interact with the map. Most of the time, it functions similarly to MOBA titles despite Genshin Impact being an open-world action role-playing game.

The interchangeable characters still come with unique abilities, which interact with the rest of the units on the map. Despite their varying effects, they can be combined to create unique and powerful gameplay experiences. Even more so when they cover a large territory, using AoE abilities.

AoE Meaning Raid Shadow Legends

Are you wondering what does AoE mean in Raid Shadow Legends?

In “Raid: Shadow Legends,” AoE meaning”Area of Effect” abilities are champion skills or attacks that target multiple enemies within a specific area rather than just one opponent. These are especially strong in campaign battles, dungeons, and arena fights where they can efficiently clear waves of enemies.

Effective use of AoE abilities can significantly impact the outcome of battles by weakening or eliminating multiple opponents at once, giving your team an advantage in combat. Strategizing team compositions whose AoE abilities have some sort of synergy is a major skill curve new players constantly face.

AoE Meaning Mobile Legends

AoE meaning in Mobile Legends usually serves the same purpose as in PC MOBA games. If you’re wondering what is AoE in Mobile Legends, it’s very simple. Any ability of a Mobile Legends champion that targets an area rather than a specific enemy, is an AoE ability.