ETYMOLOGY
The term originated in 2014 on Chinese League of Legends forums where posts titled 'Moe newbie needs carry' started appearing. Its evolution mirrors Western 'fake noob' culture but with anime flavor:
Phase 1 (2014-2016): Hardcore gamers adopted Japanese moe aesthetics to soften the stigma of being newPhase 2 (2017-2019):Bilibili's danmu (bullet comments) culture propelled it into mainstream use, peaking at 120 million instances in 2018Phase 3 (2020-present):Even experts use it when entering new domains, creating a 'strategic humility' phenomenonClassic example:
'Just a moe newbie here, how do I skip the tutorial?'(Actual playtime: 1500 hours)This ironic humor explains its longevity - it's both a shield against criticism and a low-key flex about actual competence.