Cecilia D'Anastasio of Kotaku referred to the meme as iconic, and further stated that it's not because it's 'uniquely stupid', but because 'the balance between 'sad' and 'flippant' is so hilariously lopsided'. Vitor Braz of GameRevolution described it as one of the most popular video game memes of all time.

In retrospect, Morgan Park of PC Gamer described the meme as Call of Duty 's greatest legacy. A notable example of 'F in the chat' was in the tribute stream for the Jacksonville Landing shooting, where some viewers responded to the proceedings by posting a single letter 'F' in the chat. In the years after the release of Advanced Warfare, users began typing a singular 'F' in chat windows on websites such as Twitch to convey condolences or a sense of sorrow when reacting to any unfortunate news on the internet, leading streamers and others to refer to this with the phrase 'F in the chat'. The phrase has since become detached from its source, sometimes used in a sincere and unironic way. On the other hand, Paste described the mourning process, which takes the form of a quick time event, as terrifically funny with the potential to catch on as a viral meme. In 2014, late night show celebrity Conan O'Brien reviewed Advanced Warfare on his ' Clueless Gamer' episode and criticized most of the gameplay of Advanced Warfare, particularly the 'Press X to Pay Respects' scene. The mechanic was frequently criticized and ridiculed for both being arbitrary and unnecessary, as well as being inappropriate to the mournful tone of the funeral the game otherwise intended to convey. Upon the release of Advanced Warfare in November 2014, many critics and players mocked the cutscene for its forced or awkward element of interactivity that seemed out-of-place at a memorial service. Marines PFC Jackson 'Jack' Mitchell, as he mourns the death of his comrade, Private William 'Will' Irons, during the latter's memorial service. It instructs the player to press the specified button to trigger an action by the player character, U.S. In the 2014 first-person shooter Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, 'Press F to Pay Respects' (or 'Press to Pay Respects' for Xbox versions), is an action prompt featured in a quick time event during a playable segment. Further information: Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

Red button press meme