Half-Life 2 Stalker Scream
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About
Half-Life 2 Stalker Scream is a sound effect of the Stalker NPC loudly screaming from the beta version of the 2004 video game Half-Life 2. The sound effect has been used in memes since August 2022 and has notably been a component of Wega memes, as well as being used in NextBot mods.
Origin
The sound effect, named "go_alert2" in the game's files, appears in the beta version of the 2004 first-person shooter video game Half-Life 2 but not its release version (video shown below).[1] The scream belongs to a Stalker NPC, a mentally and physically altered human used as a servant by the Combine. The sound effect was allegedly created by altering the sound of a metal pot or metal sheet dropped onto the floor.[2]
On August 25th, 2022, YouTube[3] user DuncanProductions posted the earliest found meme that used the sound effect, a Wanna Break From the Ads? edit that garnered over 377,000 views prior to removal. On December 22nd, 2022, Redditor penguino_burrito reuploaded the video in the /r/OKBuddyHalfLife[4] subreddit, where it received over 640 upvotes in two years (shown below).
Want a break from the Half-Life 2 Stalker scream?
byu/penguino_burrito inOKbuddyHalfLife
Spread
In the second half of 2022, the scream saw use as a part of Wega memes in which it was combined with the hue-shifted image of Luigi from the video game franchise Super Mario. For example, on October 2nd, 2022, X[5] user @GP12810 posted a Family Guy Wega meme that used the sound effect. The video (shown below) received over 1,300 reposts and 8,700 likes in two years.
I have several questions about this video pic.twitter.com/zk6jo4goSo
— GP (@GP12810) October 2, 2022
In 2023 and 2024, the sound effects appeared in a variety of memes posted on YouTube, TikTok and X. For example, on October 22nd, 2023, YouTube[6] user Spawnbilleh posted a The Amazing Digital Circus meme that received over 16,000 views in one year (shown below).
On August 28th, 2024, Redditor JustHylie posted a Half-Life shitpost based on the sound effect in the /r/OKbuddyHalfLife[7] subreddit, where it garnered over 1,200 upvotes (shown below). The meme was widely circulated online in the following months.
Dilemma feat. Breen and Stalker
byu/JustHylie inOKbuddyHalfLife
Various Examples
Search Interest
External References
[1] The Sounds Resource – Stalker
[2] Reddit – Anyone know the origin of the stalker scream?
[3] YouTube – want a break from the stalker scream?
[4] Reddit – Want a break from the Half-Life 2 Stalker scream?
[6] YouTube – YOU half life 2 stalker scream remastered
[7] Reddit – Dilemma feat. Breen and Stalker
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