#BattlefrontII2017
EA’s Star Wars game sparked historic lootbox backlash and regulatory scrutiny.
Quick Facts
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Release | November 17, 2017 |
| Controversy | Pay-to-win lootboxes |
| Most downvoted comment in history | |
| Impact | Lootbox regulations worldwide |
Origin & Impact
#BattlefrontII2017 ignited gaming’s biggest lootbox controversy. EA locked iconic heroes (Darth Vader, Luke) behind 40+ hour grinds or lootbox gambling. Their Reddit response—“sense of pride and accomplishment”—became the most downvoted comment ever (-680,000).
The hashtag coordinated boycotts and outrage. Governments investigated lootboxes as gambling. Disney allegedly intervened. EA eventually removed microtransactions before launch, then reintroduced cosmetic-only versions.
The backlash changed gaming—Belgium and Netherlands banned lootboxes, other games reduced them. The hashtag represents consumer power and the beginning of gaming’s reckoning with predatory monetization.
Related Hashtags
#SenseOfPrideAndAccomplishment #Lootboxes #EA #StarWars #GamingControversy