Asynchronous (async) events in GameMaker Studio are special events used to handle actions that don’t complete instantly, such as HTTP requests, file operations, cloud saves, and networking. Instead of freezing the game while waiting for a response, GameMaker triggers an async event once the process finishes, allowing your game to remain smooth and responsive. When working with online APIs like GMDB, all returned data—such as leaderboard scores or user content—must be handled inside the Asynchronous → HTTP event to ensure proper loading and error handling.