China’s Gaming Praise Phenomenon
666 (liu liu liu) is Chinese gaming slang meaning “smooth” or “skilled,” originating from the Mandarin word 溜 (liù) which means slippery/smooth. The number 6 is pronounced “liù” in Mandarin, making 666 a numeric shorthand for praising impressive gameplay. The expression exploded on Douyu and Huya (Chinese Twitch equivalents) around 2014-2015, where gamers spammed “666” in live chat during clutch plays or skilled maneuvers.
From Gaming to Mainstream
What began as League of Legends and Dota 2 commentary evolved into universal Chinese internet praise. By 2016, 666 appeared in Weibo comments praising anything skillful: cooking videos, dance performances, witty comebacks, or impressive achievements. The expression’s evolution mirrored Western “pog” or “W”—pure admiration condensed into repeatable spam. Single “6” indicated mild approval, while 6666666666 expressed overwhelming awe.
Western confusion arose from 666’s Satanic associations in Christianity, creating awkward moments when Chinese gamers innocently spammed it in international lobbies. Educational campaigns on Reddit and gaming forums explained the cultural difference, though some Western players remained uncomfortable. This led to Chinese gamers sometimes using alternative praise (牛/niu meaning awesome, or NB/niubi) in international contexts to avoid Western sensitivities.
TikTok & Global Gaming
Chinese TikTok (Douyin) videos featuring 666 reactions went viral domestically, while international TikTok saw Chinese creators explaining the expression to curious Western audiences. By 2020, English-speaking gaming communities had absorbed enough Chinese internet culture that 666 occasionally appeared in Twitch chats or Discord servers with large Asian-American populations. The expression became a bridge between Chinese and Western gaming cultures, alongside other imports like “ez” and “gege” (哥哥/big brother).
Linguistic Notes
The pronunciation “liu liu liu” creates rhythmic repetition satisfying to spam rapidly in chat. Some users typed “溜溜溜” (full characters) for emphasis, though 666 remained more common due to typing efficiency. Regional variations emerged: Cantonese speakers sometimes used 6 differently due to pronunciation (luk), leading to less adoption in Hong Kong/Guangdong compared to Mandarin-speaking regions.
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