A tactic used by snipers in FPS video games. Older than the
COD franchise, this tactic has been made heavily
popular with
COD: Modern Warfare 1 and 2. One of the biggest debates surrounding quick scoping is whether or not the tactic requires real skill, how much skill, or if it's just a matter of repetition and blind probability.
The tactic itself involves utilizing quick reflexes to spot an enemy, center them on screen as best as possible, and then zoom into your scope only to then fire as soon as the crosshairs are visible.
Some view it as an exploit. This is due to the fact that the crosshairs essentially "lock on" briefly and allow one to achieve relatively
easy one-
shot kills. A missed
shot usually means one need only quickly repeat. Since it's primarily dependent upon reflexes and simple visual cues, sufficient practice by any
player eventually leads to the ability to quick scope repeatedly with a diminishing overall vulnerability while doing so.
The tactic is helpful for snipers while they're on the run, in close quarters, in place of a weaker secondary weapon. However, abuse of the tactic as a primary method of fighting has lead many to view it as the "cheap" preference of noobs. Many who rely on quick scoping have furthered this
stereotype by abusing it repeatedly, even going as far as ridiculing those who
snipe in more traditional fashions (often calling them "
hard scopers" in a derogatory manner).
Man, I was playing Modern Warfare 2 last night. I kept getting killed by this noob who did nothing but run around and quick
scope. His hits were
like 1 in 10, but he did it so frantically that he got enough kills to annoy us. His team still lost, though.
