Roblox oof
Sound effect
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Roblox oof (also known simply as "oof") is a sound effect that plays when a player dies or resets in the online video game platform Roblox. It also plays as a sound test when the player changes the volume bar in the settings tab. It originated from 2000 video game Messiah, and was later adopted by Roblox as the platform's default death sound. The sound became an Internet meme due to its humorous nature. Composer Tommy Tallarico would claim he was the creator of the sound in 2019, and stated the use of the effect was copyright infringement. Roblox removed from the platform as a free sound on July 2022, though an agreement was reached to offer it as a paid one. Several years later, the sound was reinstated after an exposé was published that debunked Tallarico's claim.
Origin
The origin of the "oof" sound is often disputed. When the sound is viewed using the sound's Metadata from pre-2013 clients, it indicates that the audio was created on September 18, 1999 by Joey Kuras, using the digital audio editing software Sound Forge 4.5. The original sound was first used in 2000 computer game Messiah by American video game developers Shiny Entertainment and Interplay Entertainment, with sounds designed by video game music composer Tommy Tallarico.[1][2]
History
2019–2022: Copyright dispute
In 2019,[3] Roblox Corporation was contacted by the owner of Messiah,[4] and later became involved in a copyright dispute with the sound's original copyright holder, American video game composer Tommy Tallarico.[5][6] Tallarico claimed Roblox obtained the sound effect from an illegal sound effects website and was using it without his permission.[2] Later, an agreement between the two was reached around late 2020.[7] On July 26, 2022, Roblox made a post addressing a new update on Twitter, saying "Related to sounds, due to a licensing issue we have removed the “oof” sound from Roblox and have created a replacement default sound which launches today".[4][8] They would remove the death sound after the release of the Developer Marketplace, and re-implement the sound as a purchasable sound asset for 100 Robux.[3][7] Tallarico made four sound design libraries.[7] The removal of the sound was met with mixed reactions from the community with players writing that the "life" in Roblox had been "sucked out".[8] In November 2022, British YouTuber Hbomberguy published "ROBLOX_OOF.mp3", a video essay which documented and disputed many claims Tommy Tallarico had made concerning his career, including being the creator of the "oof" sound effect at the heart of the Roblox legal dispute.[9][10]
2025: Oof sound return
On July 18, 2025, Roblox officially announced that the original "Oof" sound would return on the Creator Marketplace. Roblox would upload a video on Twitter of a character walking into the camera, promptly exploding into pieces with the classic "Oof" sound playing.[11]
