V.A.T.S. debuted in Fallout 3 in 2008, reworking the series' targeted shots into a cinematic system that slows time and shows hit percentages. The selection tick is part of its interface sound design, heard while moving between limbs and targets, and it returned in New Vegas, Fallout 4 and Fallout 76. Clips isolating the tick spread online as a vats meme, with creators applying it to real life choices and awkward encounters. Its brevity and instant association with picking a target keep it useful long after release.