The laugh comes from World of Warcraft, Blizzard's long-running MMORPG first released in 2004, where Tauren are one of the playable Horde races based in Mulgore and Thunder Bluff. Like other races in the game, Tauren characters have a /laugh emote that triggers a voiced chuckle in chat and in the world. Players have used the emote for years to tease opponents, celebrate wins, and joke with guildmates. Short clips of it later spread to soundboards and video edits as a standalone reaction sound.