KS

In gaming, a KS (kill steal) is when one player swoops in to deal the final blow to an enemy another has been wearing down. Because players often earn points for kills, KSing is frowned upon.

You're most likely to encounter the KS acronym while playing League of Legends (LoL) and other MOBAs. In those games, players' KDA ratios are an important measure of their prowess, so KSing is an especially heinous crime. However, KSes can occur in any game in which players earn points for kills, including Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Super Smash Bros., and Fortnite.

A KS is a kill screen, which is a screen a user may encounter on an electronic device that kills their current activity. The KS usually occurs because of a malfunction, like a glitching video game, but it may also be programmed, like when a streaming device detects pirated content.

Gamers and techies may use KS to refer to kill screen encounters, especially when on web forums and messaging online. Also, members in the fandom for the TheGreatUnknown Productions channel commonly use it to refer the YouTuber's custom KS videos.

A KS might include a message explaining to the user what is happening, the screen may display strange gibberish, or it may just be blank. The device may then freeze, shut down, or force you to shut off or restart the device.

World of Warcraft (WoW) players use KS as shorthand for the Kingslayer title. Players earn this title by killing the Lich King, at the end of the Icecrown Citadel (ICC) dungeon.

Icecrown Citadel, the Lich King, and the Kingslayer title were all added to WoW in the Wrath of the Lich King (WOTLK) expansion. If a player who has killed the Lich King chooses to use the Kingslayer title, it appears above their character, as part of their character's name (e.g., Syr Slangington the Kingslayer).