Earlier this morning, the official Battlefield 1 Twitter account posted a number of tweets using the ridiculous hashtag #justWWIThings. Met with negative feedback, the account soon deleted the tweets.
The tweets featured animated gifs of soldiers matching and clearing out bunkers with flamethrowers. They included slogans like “When your squad is looking on point” and “When you’re too hot for the club.”
Some Twitter users co-opted the hashtag to post their own #justWWIThings and collectively roll their eyes at the absurd hashtag. Because there’s nothing better than dying slowly in the trenches with your pals.
This is not the first time that Battlefield 1's marketing been met with collective groaning. After the open beta ended, the official site boasted that the digital conflict featured “More than double the strength of the British and Ottoman Empires deployed in the Middle East during World War 1.”
I was impressed by Battlefield 1 although I had some reservations about the multiplayer that colleague Kirk Hamilton didn’t quite share. Regardless, the tone of Battlefield 1's marketing is far different than its reverent single player campaign.
Update—4:00 p.m.: The official Battlefield Twitter account has issued a public apology for the content. It can be viewed down below.
Update—6:15 p.m.: Kotaku has received a statement from EA representatives. It reads as follows:
We would like to apologize for any offense caused by content in the last 24 hours posted on the @Battlefield Twitter account. It did not treat the World War 1 era with the respect and sensitivity that we have strived to maintain with the game and our communications.