A man playing video games wearing headphones and the letter "IWNL" overlaid atop the picture. 

The article explains the usage of the internet slang acronym -IWNL- which stands for I will never lose

IWNL

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Updated Mar 17, 2020 at 01:40AM EDT by Y F.

Added Mar 11, 2020 at 03:30PM EDT by Matt.

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About

IWNL, also known as -IWNL-, is an online slang acronym for "I Will Never Lose" or "I Will Not Lose." Generally used in gaming and esports communities, players use the phrase to intimidate their opponents. Many associate the acronym with esports player Braxton "Swag" Pierce who used "-iwnl-" in competition. Following his dismissal from professional esports due to his involvement in the "iBUYPOWER Match-Fixing Scandal," some added the acronym to their handles in solidarity with Pierce.

Origin

The exact origin of the acronym is unknown. However, some point to its association with esports player Braxton "Swag" Pierce, who went by the name "swag-iwnl-," in competition. The earliest available usage of the phrase comes from a September 28th, 2011 YouTube entitled "swag-iwnl- …[*]." Uploaded by YouTuber krazydamnklown, the post received more than 302,000 views in less than 10 years (shown below).



Spread

It was first defined by Urban Dictionary [1] on October 24th, 2015. They defined IWNL as "An acronym meaning 'I Will Not Lose'. Only really used in internet slang." The post received more than 65 upvotes in less than five years (shown below).


TOP DEFINITION iwnl An acronym meaning "I Will Not Lose". Only really used in internet slang. "lol, good luck, you'll need it. iwnl." by xXxCockSmasherxXx October 24, 2015 69 41 6

On May 22nd, 2017, Redditor [2] El_Tigre_Senior asked the /r/RocketLeague subreddit about the acronym. Redditor SneakyRL responded, "I don't know if this is where it started but Swag (a really popular player) from CSGO wears the iwnl tag (I will never lose) and people wear the iwnw tag (I will never win) because they're having a horrible day."

Throughout 2017, others, particularly on Steam, [3][4] asked about the usage of the tag (examples below).


chrai - Feb 18, 2017 @ 8:36pm Why do people have -iwnl- on the end of their names? Why do people have -iwnl- on the end of their names? I really want to know, I see so many people with this tag. I cant stand not knowing what it is. Jun 29, 2017 @ 3:54am Darks1de - What means " -iwnl- " tag in the nickname? What means " -iwnl- " tag in the nickname? / 4TO 3HaynT Ter " -iwnl "?

Search Interest

External References

[1] Urban Dictionary – IWNL

[2] Reddit – /r/RocketLeague

[3] Steam – "What means " iwnl tag in the nickname?

[4] Steam – Why do people have iwnl on the end of their names?

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