Gaming origin:
硬控 =
硬性控制 hard crowd control, a MOBA/MMO term (League of Legends, Honor of Kings) for effects that unconditionally lock an enemy down - stun, knock-up, freeze - as opposed to
软控 soft-CC (slow, silence). Around 2024 Douyin users started saying that a captivating video, scene, or person
硬控 them, meaning 'held me hostage, couldn't look away'. Named a 2024 Top 10 buzzword by
《咬文嚼字》.