$γ$ is a geometrical factor that would appear in Euclidean geometry also if it were taught in a slightly different way. A transformation between two Cartesian coordinate systems with a common origin can be written $\begin{pmatrix} \cos θ & \sin θ \\ -\sin θ & \cos θ \end{pmatrix}$ where $θ$ is the angle between them. If you parametrize it by a slope $m=\tan θ$ instead, the rotation matrix can be written $\displaystyle \frac{1}{\sqrt{1+m^2}} \begin{pmatrix} 1 & m \\ -m & 1 \end{pmatrix}$. Likewise, a transformation between Lorentzian coordinate systems can be written either $\begin{pmatrix} \cosh α & \sinh α \\ \sinh α & \cosh α \end{pmatrix}$ or $\displaystyle \frac{1}{\sqrt{1-v^2}} \begin{pmatrix} 1 & v \\ v & 1 \end{pmatrix}$, where $α$ is a hyperbolic angle (rapidity) and $v=\tanh α$.
Einstein used $v$ in his original 1905 paper, and the teaching of special relativity is still largely stuck in 1905. For general relativity, he switched to an abstract four-tensor notation, where velocities are typically represented not by $v$ or $α$ but by a vector tangent to the worldline (four-velocity), and where it's uncommon to use Lorentzian coordinate systems at all, much less need to transform between two of them. $γ$ has the same meaning as in special relativity, and you will see it occasionally, but it's less common to need it.