The Most Iconic Gaming Memes Of The 2010s

With the internet and social media booming in the late 2000s, meme culture slowly but surely became widespread shortly thereafter. Gaming wasn’t left behind in this trend, with some of the most iconic video game memes around blossoming in the 2010s.

Some of the most notable video games to be released during this time feature moments that have become an enduring part of meme culture. From iconic dialogue to absurd moments, there’s no shortage of iconic video game memes that became ridiculously popular during the 2010s.

Press F To Pay Respects

One Of The Most Popular Memes Of All Time

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare came around at a time when players were turning away from the Call of Duty formula. The campaigns seemed like a distant second thought to the online multiplayer, and nowhere is this more prominent than when players were prompted to press a single button, “F,” to pay respects at a soldier’s funeral.

The seriousness of this scene was completely eradicated by this weird inclusion that became a meme that is still going strong to this day. Even now, people tend to respond with “F” to moments both genuinely and comedically tragic, which is hilarious despite how inappropriate this response might be.

Arrow To The Knee

A Line Repeated By Skyrim’s Guards That Suggests Adventuring Was Never For Them

RPGs are no strangers to repeated dialogue, especially when it comes to titles set in an open world like Skyrim. However, one particular line was oddly repeated by multiple guards across the Northern realm of Tamriel about how these people used to be adventurers like the Dragonborn, before their prospects were shattered after taking an arrow to the knee.

The absurdity of multiple guards somehow suffering the same injury, and how it ended all of their adventuring days, turned this phrase into an instant meme. Even now, some people find the “arrow to the knee” comments hilarious, no matter how many times they replay this glorious game.

The Entirety Of Minecraft

The Game Became A Hub Of Meme Creation

Minecraft burst onto the scene and quickly became one of the most popular video games of all time. It turned its creator, Notch, into a billionaire, and continues to be a game that players, young and old, will sink hundreds of hours into with ease.

Ever since its release, the iconic Creepers and the legendary Herobrine have become pretty easy to meme. Now, A Minecraft Movie has spawned a new meme, Chicken Jockey, a phrase that will cause players to either jump for joy or get unreasonably angry at this game’s popularity for the umpteenth time.

Baka Mitai

Easily The Most Popular Karaoke Song

Yakuza is a series known for combining both serious and bizarre moments into one spectacular cocktail. A highlight of every Yakuza game is karaoke, with players pushed to nail button prompts in pseudo-Guitar Hero fashion and turn a regular singing session into a full-blown MV.

The most popular song that has also become the most popular Yakuza meme: Baka Mitai, where Kiryu and other characters sing a sad song before eventually gazing at a picture of a person close to them. This picture can range from a character who died in the past all the way to a Pocket Circuit Fighter, resulting in a hilarious blend of Yakuza 0’s goofy and sincere elements.

Lamar Roasting Franklin

A Hilarious Rant That Fans Love To This Day

Grand Theft Auto 5 is one of the most successful video games ever made, but a highlight near the start of the campaign, when players control Franklin, has also become a meme. After a mission with Lamar, Franklin dismisses him, only for this friend to launch into a legendary tirade and one of the biggest burns in video game history.

This rant introduces players to the game’s barbershops, because according to Lamar, Fraklin needs to fix his “Yee-yee ass haircut.” Players have taken this rant to more absurd places by making edits on YouTube that either change character models or straight-up change the roast to fit the context of the situation.

Ugandan Knuckles

An Absurd Meme Starring A Cursed Version Of Knuckles

A lot of video game memes are purely absurd, and Ugandan Knuckles is the best example of the same. Seeing this blursed version of Knuckles say “Do you know the way” in the thickest accent possible had no business being so funny, yet it took over the internet nonetheless.

Absurdity drives modern meme culture, and Ugandan Knuckles embodies this to a T. He may have faded in popularity now, but people still remember a time when this ridiculous version of Knuckles became a huge talking point.

Nanomachines, Son!

The Over-The-Top Nature Of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Is Taken Even Further

Metal Gear games are known for being as bizarre and over-the-top as they come, and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is no exception. This spinoff features the best melee combat in the series, with a soundtrack that slaps and tough bosses that will make players tear their hair out.

Senator Armstrong is the game’s final boss, and he’s no joke; well, he is a “joke,” particularly when he rips his suit off, but fighting him isn’t. Players genuinely have to reach Super Saiyan levels of skill and focus to defeat a foe who yells “Nanomachines, son!” in such a hilarious manner. This boss fight and its OST have become enduring facets of meme culture.

Sans

From Megalovania To His Iconic Text Sounds, This Skeleton Is Very Popular

Undertale burst onto the scene as one of the greatest indie games of all time and it won players over with its charm, impressive depth, and imaginative gameplay. This anti-RPG features some of gaming’s best characters, including the lovable Sans.

This iconic skeleton is Papyrus’ brother, with both characters being equally lovable in their own right. However, the music that plays during Sans’ boss fight, coupled with the eerie moments featuring this character during the game’s story, has turned him into the biggest meme to come from the 2010s indie scene.