What do people mean when they say thanks at the end of the game?

[QueenGambitAccepted]

Usually they do that when winning (I barely see anyone saying thanks when they're losing) so the first thought that jumps to mind is that they're saying "Thanks for the win", but that sounds too childish, so I'm assuming it means "Thanks for the game", but then again, it is never said when someone loses, so I'm a bit confused.

[T72on1]

I obviously can't speak for the games you have played so far, but in my games I have plenty of people who say thank you for the game at the end, even if they lost. I do the same, or say something else that is positive, winning or loosing. So maybe it's just a coincidence that so far people don't really seem to say positive things when they don't win.

[muddypawprints]

Thanks for playing. Thank you for the game. Thanks for the great time.

Could be any of them or something else. I usually say thank you because I’m happy I found someone who was able to challenge me in the game. I’m grateful for their effort and time, whether I win or lose.

[QueenGambitAccepted]

Thanks for the clarification, good to know that it usually stands for something positive and not so BMish like in other platforms.

[Osnofaac]

I find the "thanks for the game" sentence quite rude tbh. It can be a language thing, but in Portuguese someone saying that when they win can be provocative. I've seen a few users use that sentence when they win and say nothing when they loose, so I guess it is used (by a few) in that sense of boasting/slightly provoking.

I don't use it, even if people use it i usually only answer with gg and/or wp.

[GeraldineMerida]

I only use it when I win by some margin, not to gloat, but because 'good game' seems inappropriate when it may not have been very good for the loser. But if my opponent has been nice, I still want to say something.

(When I lose under those circumstances, I usually say 'well played'.)

[T72on1]

There are so many threads around the forums here about this subject. Mainly about 'gg', but it all boils down to the same thing as in this one. I don't get it: why actively seek something negative from something that can be at least be considered neutral, possibly even positive from the most part? Why assume the other person wants to say something negative, while the words typed literally have no negative meaning?

[frogstar_A]

I only use it when I win by some margin, not to gloat, but because 'good game' seems inappropriate when it may not have been very good for the loser. But if my opponent has been nice, I still want to say something.

Same here. I don't want to say GOOD GAME if I have won by a bug margin because frankly it probably wasn't a very good game and certainly not for my opponent, but I still enjoyed it and still appreciated them playing me so THANKS FOR THE GAME seems a nice way to acknowledge that

Or so I thought!