Team Fortress 2 voice actor Rick May passed after contracting COVID-19 at the age of 79. Rekindle School in Seattle, Washington, where May had worked as a teacher, had announced his passing.
Team Fortress 2 VA Rick May Died
Gamers and fans alike might recognize May as the voice behind such characters like the Soldier in Team Fortress 2, and his work in other notable titles such as Star Fox 64, Sly 3: Honour among Thieves, and Age of Empires 2. One of May’s most notable lines in Star Fox 64 was the role of Peppy Hare. Peppy remains in the gaming hall of memes for the iconic line ‘Do a barrel roll.’
Voice actors and gamers pay their respects for Rick May on Twitter, whilst an entire server has gathered in memory of May.
“I met him over thirty years ago and while we weren’t the socializing type of pals we always enjoyed running into each other at a gig or audition. Every recording session with him was always laugh-filled. Yet when the lights went down or the engineer said, ‘rolling’ he was the consummate professional. He worked hard to get it right and we could always depend on him to deliver,” Fellow Team Fortress 2 voice actor, John Patrick Lowrie, spoke of May in a eulogy on Facebook.
Fans also have made a special tribute video for the late Rick May. This video shows just how much the TF2 community respects the Soldier. Of course, there is an epic rendition of Rocket Jump Waltz to accompany this tribute as well.
May’s work as Soldier in Team Fortress 2 became popular among fans. In 2011, TF2’s digital comics explored the roommate relationship between the Soldier and Merasmus, a boss character that players could fight in the fourth ‘Scream Fortress’ seasonal event.
May suffered a stroke in February. May moved to a nursing home where he had contracted the virus. Fans will remember his witty voice behind many iconic characters.