The "Believers" emote is used to express skepticism, doubt, or disbelief in a humorous or ironic way. Despite its name suggesting belief or faith, the emote's facial expression (one raised eyebrow, questioning look) actually conveys the opposite - uncertainty or suspicion about what's being said or shown. It's often used when streamers or chatters make dubious claims, questionable plays, or when something seems too good to be true. The ironic contrast between the name and the expression is part of the emote's charm in Twitch culture.
Origin
The "Believers" emote originates from the "o_O" emoticon, which represents a face with one raised eyebrow expressing confusion, skepticism, or disbelief. This emote became popular in Twitch culture around the mid-2010s as part of the broader adoption of emoticon-style emotes. The name "Believers" is often used ironically - while the name suggests faith or trust, the actual facial expression conveys doubt and suspicion. It's commonly found as a custom emote on various Twitch channels and third-party platforms like BetterTTV, FFZ, or 7TV, with the specific design varying by channel but maintaining the core "o_O" skeptical face concept.
When to use
When a streamer makes a bold prediction or claim that seems unlikely to come true
During gameplay when someone attempts a risky strategy or makes a questionable decision
When reacting to suspicious or doubtful statements in chat
In response to streamers being overly optimistic about their chances ("copium" situations)
When someone shares an unbelievable story or statistic
As a playful way to express "I don't believe you" without being directly confrontational
