Team Fortress 2 launched in 2007 from Valve, and the Scout quickly became its fastest, loudest class, armed with a baseball bat and endless trash talk. His shouted Bonk became shorthand for a bat hit in fan videos, machinima and later soundboard memes. The word also ties to his in-game Bonk! Atomic Punch drink, reinforcing the joke. As short voice clips spread on forums and video edits, this one survived alongside other hit-reaction memes like Doge bonk, because a single shouted word could caption any playful knock.