Subway Surfers launched in 2012 as a mobile endless runner where the player flees a guard and his dog after being caught spraying graffiti. That opening chase became one of the game's most repeated moments, so the guard's short grunt at the start of each run was heard millions of times by players. As clips from the game spread on short video platforms, creators began lifting the grunt on its own and using it as a reaction sound for getting caught, panicking, or suddenly having to run away.