From high + -bie.
highbie (plural highbies)
- (online gaming) A high-level character in an MMORPG.
1998 June 9, Arlie Stephens, “Re: Botting and Autoplaying”, in rec.games.mud.admin[1] (Usenet):[…] and since everyone knows what they did, the players give them all the respect *they* believe a 'botter deserves. (I.e. they aren't a "real" highbie in the eyes of their peers.)
2001 September 5, Silverlock [username], “Re: Why trivial loot code sucks mister Harmon.”, in alt.games.everquest[2] (Usenet):A lowbie always has access to highbie stuff simply by leveling up, but highbies are purposely restricted from this content.
2011, Lauren McLaughlin, Scored, Random House Children's Books, →ISBN, page 3:The score was "the great equalizer," and Imani knew that as a "highbie" she was poised to benefit at the highest level.
- For more quotations using this term, see Citations:highbie.