The story behind the logo hiding in all your favorite games

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Game artists are behind the toothy, green smiley face

(Image credit: 2K Games)

A bunch of the best games of the last several years all have something in common - a little creepy green smiley face known as Greentooth. Greentooth is the logo for Polycount, an online community of 3D artists that offers resources for learning 3D art, sharing portfolios, and connecting with fellow artists. It's considered an important tool for artists looking to advance their career in video games, so much so that it's being immortalized within them. 

Community members have been sharing screenshots of Greentooth sightings all over Polycount's forums since December 2011, when he was spotted in a window in Battlefield 3. Sometimes he's featured as a cheeky little pin stuck to a character's clothing (Roadhog in Overwatch has him on his chest, as does a quest giver in Rage, and Spider-Man's punk skin in the latest Spider-Man game). He was also spotted on the lapel of the Borderlands 3 vault hunter FL4K (see above). The most recent post is from September 19, where the creepily cute lil guy was seen on some paperwork in Control. Screenshots of Greentooth sightings are often accompanied with campaign slogans like "Vote Greentooth" or "Greentooth 2020." He's got my vote.

According to a Polygon piece, Polycount "encourages the Easter Egg" and lets the developers use the logo freely, as long as it's not being used for "physical goods for profit." In certain cases, studios have asked Polycount for "explicit permission" to use Greentooth, which they've "always given."

We love Easter eggs here at GamesRadar, so you best believe we've been keeping our eyes out for Greentooth. 

We also spotted some Joker Easter eggs and references in the new film that you might want to check out. 

Alyssa Mercante
Alyssa Mercante

Alyssa Mercante used to be a features writer at GamesRadar and is now a freelance writer and editor. Prior to entering the industry, she got her Masters's degree in Modern and Contemporary Literature at Newcastle University with a dissertation focusing on contemporary indie games. She spends most of her time playing competitive shooters and in-depth RPGs and was recently on a PAX Panel about the best bars in video games. In her spare time Alyssa rescues cats, practices her Italian, and plays soccer.