The sound comes from the Warhammer 40,000 universe created by Games Workshop, specifically the tradition of Space Marine voice lines in the Dawn of War real time strategy series that began in 2004. In those games, units react vocally when they are killed, helping players follow chaotic battles without watching every soldier. Clips were later ripped and shared on soundboards alongside other game death noises like the Roblox oof, and Warhammer fans began using this death cry out of context for memes, streams and edited battle scenes.