Roblox has officially removed the iconic "oof" sound effect from the game. Players will no longer hear the same default death sound when joining their favorite game modes, such as the best Poppy Playtime games in Roblox. For many Roblox fans, this news is disappointing and feels like a piece of the game is now lost to history.
Since the beginning of Roblox in 2006, the oof death sound has been the game's default; players can download other copyright-free material from creators to use as well, but none have quite had the same impact as the original. In 2019, Tommy Tallarico, the creator of the sound bite, filed disputes with Roblox because his creation (which first showed up in a game called Messiah in 2000) was being used without compensation. The Roblox co-founder and CEO, David Baszucki, pushed back by saying it came from a stock license that had been purchased when the game was being developed. Ultimately, a deal was settled in 2020 that made players pay $1 for Roblox's iconic oof sound. Fastforward almost two years - the sound has completely been removed from the game.
According to Kotaku, the exact reason that the oof sound was removed from Roblox is still somewhat of a mystery. However, following what has unfolded throughout the past two years, it's likely that an agreement couldn't be reached between the two parties regarding copyright issues. Instead of dealing with the headache of legal battles over a single sound bite, Roblox may have thought it best to go ahead and take it out of the game entirely.
Roblox Will Have To Find Better Death Sounds To Replace "Oof"
There has already been complaints over the new default death sound in Roblox, which make sense considering how unappealing it is compared to the other. Players' characters can die in certain games, which may make some parents concerned if Roblox is safe for their kids, but in general, it's very light-hearted and kiddish. The oof death sound became so synonymous with the game that it eventually manifested into a popular meme, even for those who'd never played Roblox. Unfortunately, with the sound bite removed from the game, it no longer holds the same impact as before, and some players will likely start looking for newly created content to replace the old one.
Although this news may be disheartening for Roblox fans, it could end up bringing out something better than the iconic oof sound. After all, the game is set up so that creators can make the best free games for Roblox, some of which are inspirations that end up being close to or even better than the originals. Regardless, there are plenty of copyright free sounds that players can download to replace the new default one with.
Source: Kotaku