Rick May Tribute

Rick May was a Canadian-American actor, theatrical performer, director, and teacher. May provided the English-language voice for Peppy Hare and Andross in Star Fox 64, the Soldier in Team Fortress 2, and Dr. M in Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves, among other video game characters. 

With the May 1, 2020 Patch, Valve commenced a month-long tribute to Rick May. Rick May, who passed away on April 8, 2020 from complications related to COVID-19, was the voice actor for the Soldier. For the month of May, the main menu class image was set to the main menu Soldier image, and the soundtrack selection was set to Saluting the Fallen, which is a rendition of Taps, a traditional salute performed at funerals and memorials of members and veterans of the United States Armed Forces. Rick May served in the U.S. Army in Japan, where he coordinated United Service Organizations (USO) shows.

Valve also placed 29 Soldier statues within most active released maps. These are bronze statues of the Soldier saluting on a marble pedestal with a plaque that reads "Rick May / 1940 - 2020 / That was a hell of a campaign son!". Random voice lines of the Soldier play as players linger around the statue. These statues reappear every 8th of April.