Editing Kill stealing (section)

{{short description|Practice in online games}}
In [[multiplayer video game]]s, particularly in [[Multiplayer online battle arena|MOBAs]], [[first-person shooter]]s, [[MMORPG]]s and [[Multi-user dungeon|MUD]]s, '''kill stealing''' is the practice of obtaining credit for killing an [[mob (gaming)|enemy]] when another player has put more effort into the kill. This usually happens when a game only keeps track of which player defeats an enemy, rather than which player dealt the most damage, leading to the so-called [[Last-hitting (game design)|last-hitting]] mechanics. If one player whittles down some enemy's [[health point]]s, but a different player eventually finishes the enemy off, this second player might obtain all of the loot or [[experience point]]s from the enemy.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kRMeBQAAQBAJ|title=The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses|publisher=CRC Press|last=Schell|first=Jesse|page=410|isbn=978-1466598645|date=2014-11-06}}</ref> Kill stealing is common when the rewards for finishing enemies off are highly desired within the game.

Some players feel that kill stealing is a dishonorable practice.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NxAuOTt9cvIC&pg=PA122 |title= Communities in Cyberspace |author=Peter Kollock |isbn=978-0-203-19495-9 |year=2002 |publisher=Routledge}}</ref> A good faith attempt to secure a kill on an enemy that might otherwise have gotten away can sometimes be perceived as a kill steal if the other player believes the kill was already certain.