What does F mean, which is spammed in the Twitch chat? Who is Leeroy Jenkins? In this article, we present to you gaming memes that have left their mark on pop culture.
These are the memes: Memes have sneaked into the vocabulary of many gamers since their emergence as an internet phenomenon. And no wonder: You can hardly avoid them while browsing or gaming.
All over the internet, you can find funny pictures or sayings related to individual games or gaming in general. Some of them are fleeting. They are felt to be used by everyone for a short time and then disappear after a while.
However, others remain and become anchored in the language of gaming culture on the internet. Here are 4 examples of such memes.
Over time, it became “meme,” and its meaning changed in the early 2000s to refer to a specific type of internet phenomena. Learn more on Wikipedia.
Press F to pay respect
This is the origin: When the shooter Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare was released on November 4, 2014, its developers did not yet know that their game would become an internet phenomenon because of just one sentence.
During the opening cutscene of the second mission, the command “Press F to Pay Respects” appeared on the screen. The respect was to be paid to a fallen comrade of the player character Jack Mitchell, who had died in the war in Korea.
So, it is actually a very emotional scene, which, however, is interrupted by an interaction command and was criticized and mocked by players and critics alike. As the X button was used on the consoles, several versions of the meme initially spread.
Today, “Press F” is still widely used, for example, in streaming chats on Twitch or YouTube. If a streamer has particularly bad luck in the game and dies, the viewers rain Fs.
Surprised Pikachu
This is the origin: The image is also known as “Shocked Pikachu” and originally came from the Pokémon anime, specifically from the 10th episode of the first season “Bulbasaur and the Hidden Paradise.”
The first use of the screenshot as a meme appeared on Tumblr nearly 4 years ago, on September 26, 2018. In it, the poster describes the following situation:
- I: “Hmm, what happens if I bend this thing violently?”
- The thing breaks
- I: *screenshot of Pikachu*
The meme spread rapidly, gathering over 223,000 likes, and also spilled over to other sites outside of Tumblr. Over time, alternative versions emerged, such as HD Pikachu, which has sharp textures compared to the old pixelated version.
By now, the Pikachu meme is sarcastically used as a reaction to obvious statements or situations where one could already have guessed the outcome.
Praise the Sun!
This is the origin: Solaire of Astora is probably the most famous character from the popular Dark Souls games, alongside Patches. He is a knight searching for his own sun.
When the player character finds and speaks to him, they receive the gesture “Praise the Sun.”
Solaire’s cheerful and positive nature contrasts sharply with the bleak and dying world of Dark Souls, so players quickly took the character to their hearts and collectively called him “Sun Bro.”
His phrase, “Praise the Sun,” became legendary and is repeated since the release of Dark Souls whenever something positive happens that players appreciate. Sometimes it is also used sarcastically since Solaire was also quite naive and knew little about the happenings in the Dark Souls world.
Leeroy Jenkins
This is the origin: Leeroy Jenkins is among the oldest memes that have now achieved legendary status. It dates back to the early days of WoW and originated in 2005 when a guild was running the dungeon “Upper Blackrock Spire.”
In the video, you can see that the leader explains the strategy and procedure in voice chat for a long time. The player of Leeroy Jenkins is seemingly absent at that moment. When he returns, he roars his name, rushes in, and wipes the entire group.
The video exploded on YouTube, gathering millions of views and spreading like wildfire in the gaming community. Even people who did not play WoW had heard of Leeroy Jenkins.
The story became so large that it not only attracted the attention of Blizzard but also gained traction in mainstream media. Leeroy Jenkins appeared in the popular TV show Jeopardy and was also featured in “The Daily Show” with Jon Stewart.
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