Reddit’s Most Downvoted Comment Ever
On November 12, 2017, an EA community manager responded to Star Wars Battlefront II loot box criticism on Reddit with: “The intent is to provide players with a sense of pride and accomplishment for unlocking different heroes.” The comment became Reddit’s most downvoted in history (667,000+ downvotes), sparked international loot box legislation, and forced EA to completely redesign their monetization system.
The 40-Hour Vader Problem
Star Wars Battlefront II (2017) launched with a progression system where heroes like Darth Vader required 60,000 credits to unlock. Players calculated that earning 60,000 credits through gameplay took 40+ hours—or players could buy loot boxes with real money for a chance at credits.
The system was pay-to-win: loot boxes contained star cards that directly improved combat effectiveness. Players who spent hundreds of dollars had massive advantages over those who didn’t. Combined with 40-hour hero grinds, the game felt designed to frustrate players into spending money.
The Reddit Explosion
A Reddit user posted complaining about the Vader unlock grind. EA’s community team responded with the now-infamous “pride and accomplishment” comment, defending the grind as rewarding player investment rather than admitting it was monetization manipulation.
The response was visceral. Within 24 hours, the comment had -100,000 points. It eventually reached -667,000 downvotes, demolishing the previous most-downvoted comment record (-24,000). The EA response became the poster child for tone-deaf corporate PR and exploitative game design.
The Consequences
The backlash forced immediate action:
- EA reduced hero costs by 75% within 48 hours
- All microtransactions were temporarily removed from the game
- The entire progression system was redesigned over the following months
- EA’s stock dropped 8.5% in one week
More significantly, the controversy caught government attention. Belgium and Netherlands classified loot boxes as gambling and banned them. The UK, Australia, and US held hearings on loot box regulation. The gaming industry faced its first serious regulatory threat.
Industry-Wide Impact
The Battlefront II disaster became a turning point for loot box implementation:
- Many games shifted from pay-to-win to cosmetic-only monetization
- “Battle Pass” systems emerged as loot box alternatives
- Regulatory scrutiny forced disclosure and age restrictions
- Industry self-regulation increased to avoid government intervention
The phrase “pride and accomplishment” became permanent sarcasm in gaming communities—used whenever developers defended unpopular monetization as “player choice” or “rewarding.”
Source: Reddit comment archives, EA financial reports, legislative hearing transcripts