The sound comes from the jumpscare audio of Five Nights at Freddy's, the 2014 indie horror game by Scott Cawthon where animatronics attack the night guard. The raw scream became a staple of early let's-play culture on YouTube, with creators clipping each death for compilations and reaction videos. Over time the FNAF jumpscare scream turned into a standalone meme sound, reused far beyond the games in prank edits, Discord soundboards and short-form videos whenever someone wants an instant, recognisable scare.