ESP & Wallhack Explained.
Learn what ESP means, the different types of information it can display, and how common visual features differ from radar and other cheat types.
What is ESP?
ESP is a broad term for visual features that display additional game-state information on screen.
In game-cheat terminology, ESP commonly refers to overlays that display information such as player locations, names, health, distance, items or other game objects. The term “wallhack” is often used more specifically for seeing player or object information through normally obstructing surfaces.
Common ESP Features
The exact options vary by product, but these are some of the most common visual features you'll encounter.
Player ESP
Displays information associated with players such as position, name, distance, equipment or health.
Loot ESP
Displays information about supported items, equipment, containers or other loot-related objects.
Loot ESP guide →Skeleton ESP
Represents parts of a character model with connected skeletal or bone-style lines.
Box ESP
Draws a 2D or 3D-style box around a tracked character or object.
Health ESP
Displays available health information as a value, bar or other indicator.
How ESP Works
At a high level, an ESP system needs information about game objects and a way to translate that information into something that can be displayed visually.
Game Information
The system obtains supported information about players, objects or other game elements.
Position Mapping
World information is translated into coordinates that can be represented on screen.
Visual Output
Boxes, text, bars, skeletons or other indicators are rendered for the user.
Common ESP Settings
Visual products often provide extensive customization so the overlay can be adjusted to the user's preferences.
Box Style
Selects between available visual styles such as 2D, corner or 3D boxes.
Colors
Controls colors for players, teams, objects, rarity levels or other categories.
Opacity
Changes how transparent or prominent individual visual elements appear.
Distance Filter
Limits displayed elements according to a configured distance.
Visibility State
Some products visually distinguish visible and obstructed targets.
Display Filters
Allows specific categories or pieces of information to be shown or hidden.
ESP vs Radar
Both can represent positional information, but they present it very differently.
ESP
Displays information directly in the player's main view using boxes, skeletons, text or other indicators.
Radar
Represents positional information in a separate minimap or radar-style display rather than directly over characters.
Read Radar Explained →Hardware-Based ESP
Some visual systems are associated with DMA-based architectures where game-state processing occurs through additional hardware or a secondary computer.
Looking for Loot ESP?
Loot ESP focuses specifically on identifying items, containers, weapons and other valuable objects within supported games.
💎 View Loot ESP GuideFrequently Asked Questions
Quick explanations of common ESP and wallhack terminology.
What does ESP stand for?
In gaming cheat terminology, ESP commonly stands for “Extra Sensory Perception” and refers to displaying additional game-state information visually.
What's the difference between ESP and wallhack?
The terms overlap. “Wallhack” is often used specifically for seeing player or object information through walls, while ESP can include many additional data points such as health, names, distance and items.
What is Box ESP?
Box ESP displays a rectangular or 3D-style outline around a tracked player or object.
What is Skeleton ESP?
Skeleton ESP visually connects available character-model points to create a skeletal representation of the character.
Can ESP show items instead of players?
Yes. Some products include item or loot-oriented visual features. See the Loot ESP guide for more information.
Is radar the same thing as ESP?
They are related concepts but use different visual presentations. Radar typically shows positions on a map-style display, while ESP places information directly into the main game view.
Continue Learning
Move on to Radar or browse the full Cheat Basics library.