"Press F to pay respects" is anInternet meme that originated fromCall of Duty: Advanced Warfare, a 2014first-person shooter inActivision'sCall of Duty franchise. It originated as a set of instructions conveyed during an in-gamequick time event at a funeral service. Widely mocked by critics and players due to its forced element of interactivity that was not perceived to be tastefully executed, the phrase would later become a notable Internet meme in its own right. It is sometimes used by Internet commenters to convey solidarity and sympathy, either sarcastic or sincere, in response to unfortunate events.
InCall of Duty: Advanced Warfare, the default control to "use" or interact with an object isF on PC,
on Xbox, and
on PlayStation, with the latter two buttons being held instead of pressed.[1] The prompt "PressF to Pay Respects" ("Hold to Pay Respects" in Xbox versions and "Hold to Pay Respects" in PlayStation versions) appears during a scene where theplayer character mourns the death of hiscomrade, who was killed saving his life in battle. When the player presses the key, the character steps forward and places his right hand on his comrade's coffin for several seconds, then turns around to leave.[2]
According toAdvanced Warfare level designer Steve Bianchi, this was a last-minute change: the original segment had the player hammer a pin into the coffin perNavy SEAL funeral rites, but the creative team had to change the scene after a military advisor objected to using a Navy SEAL tradition, as the character in question is aU.S. Marine.[3] In an interview withtheScore esports,Advanced Warfare screenwriterJohn MacInnes described the prompt as "a byproduct of late-stage game development" that he did not have control over, adding he did not know it was in the game until a journalist asked him about it.[4]
The same prompt had appeared previously in the 2011 video gameBatman: Arkham City, in a section whereBatman can visit the alley where his parents,Thomas andMartha Wayne, were murdered, the prompt appearing if the player chooses to approach thechalk outlines of their bodies. Andrew Vestal ofGamasutra noted that the difference between the two games was that inArkham City, the prompt was optional, and that "Ultimately, it doesn't matter if the player decides to pay their respects or to keep on walking. The point has been made."[5]
Upon the release ofAdvanced Warfare in November 2014, many critics and players mocked the cutscene for its forced or awkward element of interactivity that seemed out of place at a memorial service.[6] The mechanic was frequently criticized and ridiculed for both being arbitrary and unnecessary, as well as being inappropriate to the mournful tone of the funeral the game otherwise intended to convey.[a]
In 2014, late night show celebrityConan O'Brien reviewedAdvanced Warfare on a "Clueless Gamer" episode and criticized the scene.[8]Paste described the mourning process, which takes the form of a quick time event, as terrifically funny with the potential to catch on as a viral meme.[9]
The phrase has since become detached from its source, sometimes used in a sincere and unironic manner.[b] In the years after the release ofAdvanced Warfare, users began typing a singular "F" in chat windows on websites such asTwitch to convey condolences or a sense of sorrow when reacting to any unfortunate news on the Internet, leading streamers and others to refer to this with the phrase "F in the chat".[6][13] A notable example of "F in the chat" was in the tribute stream for theJacksonville Landing shooting, where some viewers responded to the proceedings by posting a single letter "F" in the chat.[14]
In retrospect, Morgan Park ofPC Gamer described the meme asCall of Duty's greatest legacy.[15] Vitor Braz ofGameRevolution described it as one of the most popular video game memes of all time.[11]Cecilia D'Anastasio ofKotaku referred to the meme as iconic, and further stated that it's not because it's "uniquely stupid", but because "the balance between 'sad' and 'flippant' is so hilariously lopsided".[8] Ky Shinkle ofScreen Rant described it as a video gaming meme that never gets old, and stated that it's common among gamers when "F" appears in unfortunate news or circumstances.[16]
In an interactive scene as gleefully tasteless as the infamous airport massacre in Modern Warfare 2, the playable character Private Jack Mitchell attends the funeral of his best friend who died on a mission in South Korea, paying his heartfelt respects by either pressing F or holding X (depending on what console you're on).
As the scene plays out, Advanced Warfare throws some interactivity your way to add some gravitas, prompting you to hit a button to enable your character to express their grief. If you're playing on PC, the default key for honoring the dead in this case is "F." [...]the instance in Advanced Warfare just feels particularly goofy, probably because it appears in such a high-profile game.
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