What is queue dodging in gaming?

Queue dodging is a phrase that you can often hear from popular streamers who play PvP games on Twitch or YouTube. The concept may come up as a possible solution whenever a player repeatedly matches up against the same opponents or if they’re dealing with a plethora of viewers trying to stream snipe their queues.

“Queue dodging” is the act of waiting to queue into a game so that you avoid going up against, or getting teamed up with, a particular player or group of players. This can occur in several PvP games across a plethora of genres—from battle royale games to MOBAs to team-based shooters.

This practice isn’t exclusive to streamers, though. Many players in various games may attempt to queue dodge if they get the same teammates or opponents every time they ready up for a match. 

The act of queue dodging typically involves waiting some time before jumping back into matchmaking when a game ends. The idea is that because most people instantly queue up for a new match, waiting to queue up decreases the likelihood of ending up in a game with the same people.

Queue dodging can be slightly more difficult for streamers trying to avoid stream snipers. Some streamers will try to dodge queue snipers by not displaying their game on stream in between matches. At the same time, they may wait an indiscriminate amount of time before queuing and won’t tell their viewers when they ready up. This makes sniping your way into a streamer’s game a roll of the dice.