The Umbrella Special Forces Unit® traces its origins back to the early days of online competitive gaming. In the late 2000s, Cpt. B2 founded the original unit under the name USFU, first appearing in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.
The original clan tag, |USF|, became a familiar sight across public lobbies and community-run servers. Communication at the time relied on grassroots tools, with Xfire serving as the primary method for coordination, messaging, and organization.
There were no applications, ranks, or formal requirements. Membership was earned organically by playing together, building trust, and spending time as a group — a reflection of the era’s tight-knit gaming culture.
With the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops, Cpt. B2 officially launched the Umbrella Special Forces Unit® as a structured gaming community.
To support growth, he established a dedicated community server, a TeamSpeak 2 server for voice communications, and continued use of Xfire to manage and support members.
In 2011, longtime member Cyttlecat stepped into a leadership role that would shape the community’s future. Recognizing her contributions, Cpt. B2 officially listed Cyttlecat as the Community Co-Founder.
Cyttlecat played a key role in community management, member relations, and cultural stability during a period of rapid growth. By the end of 2011, U.S.F.U.® had grown to roughly 15–20 dedicated members.
That same year, the community migrated to the Enjin platform under the domain usfuclan.us, marking the first centralized online presence for U.S.F.U.®.
Following the move to Enjin, U.S.F.U.® expanded beyond Call of Duty into additional titles including Minecraft, the ArmA series, and other multiplayer and sandbox games.
This period defined U.S.F.U.® as a multi-game community, rather than a single-title clan — a defining trait that continues today.
In 2013, Cyttlecat departed the community, stating at the time that she wished to pursue other avenues. Records show that she later launched and supported her own communities and player support groups, particularly within dedicated Call of Duty titles.
During an internal investigation in 2020, it was later discovered that a former Community Manager had exerted undue pressure that contributed to her departure. This individual is no longer affiliated with U.S.F.U.®.
These findings became one of the factors that led to the creation of the Internal Compliance Division (ICD), a system designed to ensure accountability, fairness, and protection for community members.
The early years of U.S.F.U.® were shaped by two complementary forces:
Together, they established principles that continue to influence U.S.F.U.® today: community over ego, structure with purpose, and leadership with accountability.
The modern Umbrella Special Forces Unit® stands not in spite of its history, but because of it.