Skill Issue and its more formal counterpart, Simply a Difference in Skill, emerged as pervasive slang within competitive gaming communities, most notably in rhythm games like osu! and various fighting games. The phrase is used as a dismissive, often satirical way to explain away a player's failure, attributing it to a lack of innate talent rather than bad luck or technical glitches. While it began as a toxic taunt, it eventually evolved into a self-deprecating joke and a way to mock absurdly difficult situations. By 2021, the meme crossed over into mainstream internet culture, often paired with images of smug characters or disaster scenarios, serving as the ultimate low-effort roast for any misfortune.