Marvel reveals the official name for Avengers: Infinity War's snap and it's probably not what you were expecting…

Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War

The Snap. The Snappening. The Bit That Made Everyone Cry. Thanos’ snap in Avengers: Infinity War has had a lot of names but, finally, in a move that might hint at an Avengers 4 trailer coming very soon, Marvel has revealed its official name. You might be hearing it a lot in Avengers 4, so you’d best get lookin’ down below.

As revealed in Marvel tie-in novel The Cosmic Quest Volume Two: The Aftermath (H/T Screen Rant), the Snappening is no more. Say hello to… The Decimation. 

Short, sweet, and simple. The Decimation – much like The Incident in 2012’s The Avengers – is probably going to be referenced in everything from Marvel’s (few) remaining TV shows to anything and everything that survives heading into MCU’s Phase 4. Now it’s got an official title, it actually feels a bit more real, too, and dare I say it, the chances of a whole host of resurrections happening in Avengers 4 just got a lot slimmer. Not many people will be coming back from something called The Decimation, let’s put it that way.

As for what comes after The Decimation – we don’t know that just yet. Captain Marvel is still firmly rooted in the ‘90s, though a potentially imminent Spider-Man: Far From Home trailer may reveal a little, but who knows if it’s even a prequel or sequel at this stage? Heck, Decimation could even be the Avengers 4 title for all we know if Marvel has chosen to hold something as seemingly unimportant as a snap name back all this time.

Still, it’s taken over six months to drip-feed us details for a Thanos snap name. It all points to Marvel deliberately taking its time with any Avengers 4 reveal but, with this little piece of info sneaking free, we could be ramping up for Avengers-mania taking over the universe. Next stop: to try and stop (or reverse) the Decimation. Good luck?

Don't worry, our list of Avengers 4 theories haven't been wiped away by The Decimation - but they might give you a good idea as to what comes next...

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.