The laugh is tied to Sonic.EXE, the evil, corrupted version of Sonic the Hedgehog created for creepypasta stories and fan-made horror games, and this older recording is associated with Sonic.EXE: The Curse. As clips from those games spread on YouTube and soundboards, the laugh became shorthand for the character himself, a quick audio cue that a video was about to turn dark. It remains popular in horror jumpscare edits because fans recognise it instantly, even without seeing Sonic on screen.