Aggro

Aggro describes which player or character the enemies are focused on. When a monster “has aggro on you”, it has chosen you as its target and will chase or attack you until something changes its mind. To “aggro” something, as a verb, means to make it hostile – usually by walking too close, attacking it, or making a noise.

The word is widely described as a shortening of “aggravation” or “aggression”. In many role-playing and online games the computer keeps a hidden score for each player, often called threat, and the enemy attacks whoever has the highest score. Dealing damage, healing allies and using special taunting abilities all raise that score.

How aggro shapes team play

In group content, aggro is something players manage on purpose. One sturdy character, the tank, tries to hold the attention of every enemy so that more fragile team-mates can work safely. If a damage dealer hits too hard too early, they may “pull aggro” and suddenly find a boss turning towards them. Healers can also draw attention, because healing often counts as a threatening act.

In single-player games the idea is simpler but still useful. Stealth games use it when guards notice you; action games use it when a pack of enemies switches from wandering to hunting. Some games show a visible marker, such as an eye icon or a red outline, so you can tell when you have been spotted.

What new players should take from it

If you keep getting surrounded, you are probably drawing aggro from more enemies than you can handle. Approach groups from a distance, deal with one target at a time, and let a sturdier team-mate go in first when playing together. For parents hearing the word shouted across the living room, it is ordinary game vocabulary: it simply means “the enemies are coming for me”.