If you have ever watched a TikTok LIVE battle and wondered what everyone means by MVP, snipe, or glove, this page is for you. Below you'll find plain-English definitions of the terms streamers and viewers use every day in PK battles — no slang left unexplained. Each entry is short on purpose: read the ones you need, skip the rest.
Battle basics
PK battle
A PK battle (short for "player kill", a term borrowed from gaming) is a head-to-head contest between two or more TikTok LIVE streamers. Both screens are shown side by side, viewers send gifts to the streamer they support, and the gifts convert into points. When the timer runs out, the side with more points wins. PK battles are the most common competitive format on TikTok LIVE.
MVP
The MVP (most valuable player) of a TikTok battle is the viewer who contributed the most gift points to a streamer during that battle. At the end of the round, TikTok highlights this supporter, and many streamers thank their MVP by name on stream. Tools built for PK battles can react to this moment too — PKTOK, for example, plays a full-screen MVP video with the supporter's name when the battle ends.
Gift points
Gift points are the score a streamer earns during a battle when viewers send virtual gifts. Every gift has a point value, and the running totals for each side are displayed on the battle bar at the top of the screen. Gift points are a battle score, not a payout figure — they exist to decide who wins the round.
Battle timer
The battle timer is the countdown that defines how long a PK round lasts — commonly five minutes, though other lengths exist. The final seconds are usually the most intense part of the battle, because that is when late surges and snipes can still flip the result. When the timer hits zero, the points are locked and the winner is declared.
Mist
Mist (sometimes called fog) is an effect that hides one side's exact score during the closing stretch of a battle. It keeps the outcome uncertain: supporters can see that the race is close, but not precisely how close. The hidden score is revealed when the battle ends, which often produces the dramatic "did we actually win?" moment.
Rematch
A rematch is an immediate follow-up battle between the same streamers, usually started right after the previous round ends. Rematches are common when a battle was close, when one side was sniped at the last second, or simply when both audiences are having fun. Some streamers run long rematch series as the core of their LIVE sessions.
Battle formats
1v1
A 1v1 is the classic PK format: one streamer against one other streamer, two screens side by side, one winner. It is the simplest format to follow and the most common one you will encounter on TikTok LIVE.
2v2
In a 2v2, two teams of two streamers battle each other, with all four video feeds visible at once. Gift points sent to either teammate count toward that team's shared total. Coordination matters here — teammates often plan who talks when and how to rally their combined audiences.
Free-for-all
A free-for-all (or multi-way battle) puts three or more streamers in the same battle, each competing for themselves rather than in teams. The point race has multiple lanes instead of two, and the streamer with the highest total when the timer ends takes the win.
Team battle
A team battle is any format where streamers fight as a group with a shared score — 2v2 is the most common example, but larger team sizes exist. The key difference from a 1v1 is that points pool together per side, so a strong performance by one teammate can carry the whole team. Team assignments are fixed once the round starts.
Boosters and multipliers
Booster card
A booster card is a time-limited power-up that a viewer can activate during a battle to multiply the point value of gifts for a short window. Typical boosters multiply points by ×2 or ×3 while active. Because they change the pace of a battle instantly, experienced audiences save boosters for decisive moments.
Glove
The glove is a specific, well-known booster in PK battles: while it is active, incoming gifts on that side are multiplied — up to ×5 — for a short burst of roughly thirty seconds. A well-timed glove can swing a close battle, which is why you will often hear streamers and chats react loudly the moment one appears.
Multiplier
A multiplier is the general term for anything that makes gifts worth more points than their base value during a battle. Multipliers can come from viewer-activated boosters (like the glove) or from match-level mechanics that TikTok applies to a round. When a multiplier is live, the battle bar can move dramatically faster than usual.
People and moments
Entrance
An entrance is the moment a notable viewer joins a LIVE room, often accompanied by an on-screen animation and a chat announcement. Streamers pay attention to entrances because they signal that a known supporter has arrived. PKTOK can react to entrances automatically by playing the streamer's own full-screen entrance video, including for special entrance types such as Guardian arrivals.
Guardian
A Guardian is a special supporter status on TikTok LIVE, granted to a top supporter of a particular streamer. Guardians carry a distinctive badge and get an eye-catching entrance animation when they enter the room, so both the streamer and the audience immediately know they have arrived.
Whale / top gifter
A whale is community slang for a viewer who sends very large amounts of gifts; "top gifter" is the more neutral term TikTok itself surfaces in rankings. Top gifters often decide close battles and are frequently the MVP of a round. Streamers generally know their top gifters by name and build genuine relationships with them.
Snipe
A snipe is a late strike at the very end of a battle: an opposing side holds back, then jumps in during the final seconds with a surge of points, flipping the result before the losing side can respond. It is dramatic, fully within the rules, and one of the defining experiences of PK battles. This moment is also something tools can detect — PKTOK, for example, can play a dedicated full-screen snipe video the instant it happens, so the room reacts together instead of sitting in confused silence.
Streaming setup
LIVE Studio
LIVE Studio is TikTok's free desktop application for streaming to TikTok LIVE from a computer. It works like a simplified broadcasting suite: you add sources (camera, game capture, browser pages), arrange your scene, and go live. Many PK streamers use it because it supports browser sources, which is how third-party overlays get onto the stream.
Browser source
A browser source is a source type in LIVE Studio and OBS that renders a web page directly inside your stream layout. Instead of installing software, you paste a link and the page appears as a layer on your broadcast. This is how PKTOK runs: it is added as a browser source, so there is nothing to download and the overlay updates itself.
Overlay
An overlay is any visual layer drawn on top of your stream — alerts, score displays, animations, or full-screen videos. In PK streaming, overlays are what turn key moments (an MVP, a snipe, a booster) into something the whole audience sees, rather than a line of text in chat. Overlays typically enter the stream through a browser source.
FAQ
What is MVP in a TikTok battle?
The MVP is the viewer who contributed the most gift points to a streamer during a single PK battle. TikTok highlights this supporter when the round ends, and streamers usually thank them on stream. It is a per-battle title, so every round can crown a different MVP.
What does snipe mean in a TikTok PK battle?
A snipe is a last-second surge of points from the opposing side, timed so the trailing team jumps ahead just before the battle timer runs out. Because it lands in the final seconds, there is usually no time to answer it — which is exactly the point.
What is the glove in TikTok battles?
The glove is a booster that multiplies the point value of incoming gifts on one side — up to ×5 — for a short window of about thirty seconds. It is one of the strongest momentum swings available in a PK battle.
Do I need to download anything to use battle overlays?
Usually not. Most modern overlays, PKTOK included, run as a browser source: you paste a link into LIVE Studio or OBS and the overlay appears on your stream. There is no separate program to install or keep updated.
Put the glossary to work
Knowing the terms is step one; seeing them on your own stream is step two. PKTOK plays your full-screen videos automatically on entrances (including Guardian arrivals), MVP wins, PK boosters, snipes, and viewer level-ups — and you can trigger any video manually too. It runs as a browser source for TikTok LIVE Studio or OBS. Every PKTOK feature is free for everyone right now, no card required. From 1 November 2026 every account gets 6 hours of full access — the clock only runs while you're actually live, it never expires, and if it runs out mid-broadcast that broadcast still finishes. After that it's €15/month (Normal) or €20/month (VIP), or €135 and €180 paid yearly, because you pay for 9 months and get 12; if you don't subscribe, your account and your videos stay and only the overlay stops. PKTOK is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed, or sponsored by TikTok.