老六

What does 老六 mean?

老六 literally means “old number six.” In team games with five players, the 老六 is the hidden “sixth man” — someone who ignores teamwork, hides in a corner or bush all game, and pops out to steal kills or ambush. It began as a complaint about selfish players in CS:GO and 和平精英 (PUBG Mobile), then generalized to anyone who acts sneaky in real life: a colleague who stays silent in meetings then takes credit (职场老六), a friend who “happens” to be offline when it's their turn to pay (饭桌老六). Calling someone 老六 is mostly teasing — the implied compliment is that they're patient, cunning, and hard to predict.

Where does 老六 come from?

The term comes from CS:GO culture, where free-for-all players who hid and backstabbed were mocked as playing “like a sixth man.” It exploded in 2021 through 和平精英 streamers and the wider battle-royale boom: clips of players being ambushed from toilets, rooftops, and bushes racked up millions of views, each one titled with 老六. The meme peaked with songs and catchphrases like “老六，你个老六,” and by 2022 it had fully migrated into everyday speech for any sneaky operator.

How to use 老六

• 小心草丛，这局对面有个老六。
  Xiǎoxīn cǎocóng, zhè jú duìmiàn yǒu ge lǎo liù.
  Careful in the bushes — the enemy team has a camper this round.
• 他从不正面刚，就爱当老六偷袭。
  Tā cóng bù zhèngmiàn gāng, jiù ài dāng lǎo liù tōuxí.
  He never fights head-on — he just loves lurking and ambushing like a camper.