Balloon Boy, often shortened to BB, first appeared in Five Nights at Freddy's 2, released in 2014, where his childlike laugh signalled that he was moving through the building and getting closer to the office. Fans ripped the laugh for gameplay videos and horror edits, and it became a shorthand for creepy, playful menace in the wider Five Nights at Freddy's community. It is still used because it is short, instantly recognisable and works even without visuals, often paired with a FNAF jumpscare scream in fan edits.