what is apm in gaming

APM stands for "Actions Per Minute" and refers to the total number of actions that a player can perform in a minute. It is a term used in video games, particularly real-time strategy and fighting games. A players APM value is determined by the number of actions performed in a given minute. Some actions, such as repeated selection, are easier to carry out than others, and players may repeatedly perform (or "spam") these actions, making them redundant in terms of their usefulness. APM is used as a metric in determining a player's skill, and it was popularized after the development of a large number of community tools allowing observers of game matches to view player resources and "actions per minute". After the release of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, many of these metrics were built into the game's interface, including APM, which further popularized the term's usage and served to increase the competitiveness of the game. APM is commonly measured in games like StarCraft, and most professional players can get up to five or six hundred actions per minute, which is 10 actions per second.