Call of Duty: Vanguard’s ‘F’ achievement mocks the COD meme

In 2014, the Call of Duty franchise offered players its greatest, longest-lasting cultural contribution with five onscreen words: “Press F to pay respects.” Since then, the prompt from Advanced Warfare – Call of Duty — a pretty good Call of Duty game! — has stayed in the cultural consciousness, graduating to an enduring meme status mostly divorced from its source material.

Sledgehammer Games was the original developer Advanced WarfareF is being remembered by, which has its most recent game, a World War II-era shooter. Vanguard’s Call to DutyAn amusing trophy or achievement, depending on which platform. Players who blow themselves up with their own grenade in the game’s campaign will earn the achievement simply named “F.”

That’s Sledgehammer both acknowledging the meme — used frequently and repeatedly in chats or on message boards when someone experiences something unfortunate — and poking a bit of fun at itself.

Amusingly, players have also noticed that Sledgehammer Games is using the ol’ F prompt for another in-game action: spending time with family.

Given the Toretto Principle, which states that nothing’s more important than family, it will be difficult to see how F can be used in a more grave manner in future Call of Duty games. Good luck, Sledgehammer!

Vanguard: Call of DutyAvailable now on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 as well as Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Xbox One and Xbox Series X.