The French government has banned the use of English gaming terms such as "streaming" and "e-sports"

The French government has ordered its employees to stop using English video game terms like "streaming" and "e-sports." Government employees are no longer allowed to use English gaming jargon.

The Journal officiel de la République française – the country's governmental gazette that publishes major legal information – has overhauled the rules on using English tech jargon, according to Agence France-Presse (via The Guardian).

According to reports, the decision was made to preserve the purity of the French language and to ensure that game players in France do not use anglicized terms for activities and concepts that can be explained in French.

According to the culture ministry, these English terms may be a "barrier to understanding" for people who do not regularly play games, and the French terms are preferred because they allow the population to communicate more easily.

The term 'pro gamer' has been replaced with 'joueur professionnel,"streamer' has been replaced with 'joueur-animateur en direct,' and 'cloud gaming' has been replaced with 'jeu video en nuage.'

Meanwhile, in France, the term 'e-sports' should be replaced with 'jeu video de compétition,' which simply means 'video game competition.'

Although the Académie Française often warns that English phrases are diluting the French language, the fact that these new game-related adjustments have been published in the government's official magazine means that they are binding on French government employees.

While it is still legal for French citizens to use the anglicized phrases, government employees are no longer allowed to do so in an official capacity.