The wasted screen has been part of Grand Theft Auto since the early games, but the Grand Theft Auto V version from 2013 gave it the distinctive slowed sound and grey fade most people now copy. Players began recording their most embarrassing deaths and editing the cue over other footage, first in gaming compilations and later in short meme videos far beyond the game itself. It endured because the reference is instantly understood across languages, turning any failure into a clear, shareable punchline without needing explanation or dialogue.