@Yello_X and @Cherry_Kun, avatars are just another word for profile pictures. Or rather, they can mean the same thing.
That said, my avatar is an Avali, a modded race for Starbound. So, they're already playable in a game.
@Techhunter_Talon I know that they also stand for pfps, but barely anyone uses that term Same goes to DMs/PMs