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2020 Super Smash Bros. sexual misconduct allegations (view source)

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In July 2020, '''numerous allegations of sexual misconduct''' were risen on over 125 members of the ''Super Smash Bros.'' community, including some of the game's most well-known professional players, commentators, tournament organizers, and content creators. The accusations included instances of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and sexual abuse of minors. The initial response was swift among the Internet, with all of  the ''Super Smash Bros.'' community, the wider eSports scene, major mainstream media outlets, as well as Nintendo, expressing shock and outrage at the allegations. Many of the accused players were banned from entering tournaments and isolated and removed from the community, and discussion was quickly sparked on preventing further misconduct at ''Smash'' events. Since the initial wave, more details have come out regarding a number of cases, some revealed to have been partially or entirely fabricated, reigniting a long held discussion about the greater issues with the ''Smash'' community..
In July 2020, '''numerous allegations of sexual misconduct''' were risen on over 125 members of the ''Super Smash Bros.'' community, including some of the game's most well-known professional players, commentators, tournament organizers, and content creators. The accusations included instances of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and sexual abuse of minors. The initial response was swift among the Internet, with all of  the ''Super Smash Bros.'' community, the wider eSports scene, major mainstream media outlets, as well as Nintendo, expressing shock and outrage at the allegations. Many of the accused players were banned from entering tournaments and isolated and removed from the community, and discussion was quickly sparked on preventing further misconduct at ''Smash'' events. Since the initial wave, more details have come out regarding a number of cases, some revealed to have been partially or entirely fabricated, reigniting a long held discussion about the greater issues with the ''Smash'' community.


==Background==
==Background==
{{incomplete|Still a lot left to cover such as trouble that women had in the community and other cases that had ties to the July 2020 allegations}}
{{incomplete|Still a lot left to cover such as trouble that women had in the community and other cases that had ties to the July 2020 allegations}}
Throughout the 2010s, sexual misconduct allegations have been levied against many notable members in the community, with notable examples being {{Sm|Alex Strife}}, the head TO of the {{Trn|Apex}} series; {{Sm|Lolex}}, the head TO of the {{Trn|B.E.A.S.T|series}} series; and {{Sm|Hyuga}}, the best ''[[Smash 4]]'' {{SSB4|Toon Link}} player at that time. These allegations were often posted on Twitter in the form of a TwitLonger, and consists of a description of events as well as screenshots of evidence such as text messages and DMs. In addition, other TwitLongers are often posted, usually from the accused and others who were involved in the case. Depending on whether suffice evidence was provided to prove the accused was guilty, tournament organizers can choose to issue a ban.
Due to the ''Smash'' community's decentralized nature, there has been very little if any oversight on the greater community's actions, allowing many unruly behaviors to infest it. The insularity of the community due to how it was formed developed a "boy's club" mentality where those already within the system would protect and promote each other while those deemed outsiders were met with skepticism and derision. Sexism towards women was a frequent occurrence due to the majority of tournament attendees being men and the then-rare sight of a woman competing at a high level, something noted by commentators in [[The Smash Brothers]] documentary. Other marginalized groups received similar treatment, especially early on when terms considered offensive today were relatively commonplace then and frequently used in casual conversation. However, these issues were yet not known to have escalated further and were largely seen as a symptom of general gaming culture at the time.


However, most incidents that occurred before 2020 were considered isolated and unconnected from each other, and as such aside from severe cases such as Alex Strife, bans were mostly relegated to certain regions or tournament series, which could lead to further controversy over whether a player was allowed to attend an event. This is most notable with Hyuga, who was allowed to compete in Mexico after his one year ban and with some players believing he had served his punishment, but continued to be suspended from several events in the United States, including {{Trn|Clutch City Clash 2}} and events held by {{Team|2GGaming}}, as many other players believed a player like him shouldn't be welcomed back to the community.  
Throughout the 2010s, sexual misconduct allegations had been levied against many notable members in the community, with notable examples being {{Sm|Alex Strife}}, the head TO of the {{Trn|Apex}} series; {{Sm|Lolex}}, the head TO of the {{Trn|B.E.A.S.T|series}} series; and {{Sm|Hyuga}}, the best ''[[Smash 4]]'' {{SSB4|Toon Link}} player at that time. These allegations were often posted on Twitter in the form of a TwitLonger, and consisted of a description of events as well as screenshots of evidence such as text messages and DMs. In addition, other TwitLongers were often posted, usually from the accused and others who were involved in the case. Depending on whether sufficient evidence was provided to prove the accused was guilty, tournament organizers can choose to issue a ban.


There have been attempts to form a unified panel which would investigate allegations and make appropriate decisions, most notably the [[SSB Code of Conduct Panel]], which was formed in 2019. However, decisions from the panel were almost immediately controversial, with their first notable case being a recommendation on unbanning {{Sm|Mafia}}, a choice that was criticized by many tournament organizers.
However, most incidents that occurred before 2020 were considered isolated and unconnected from each other, and as such aside from severe cases such as Alex Strife, bans were mostly relegated to certain regions or tournament series, which could lead to further controversy over whether a player was allowed to attend an event. This was most notable with Hyuga, who was allowed to compete in Mexico after his one year ban and with some players believing he had served his punishment, but continued to be suspended from several events in the United States, including {{Trn|Clutch City Clash 2}} and events held by {{Team|2GGaming}}, as many other players believed a player like him should not be welcomed back to the community.  


In addition, there were several cases that ultimately tied into the July 2020 allegations, most notably with {{Sm|CaptainZack}}. His relationship with {{Sm|Ally}} was exposed in March 22, 2019, but was not publicly admitted to until June 29, 2019, leading to Ally's subsequent ban. However, additional allegations were levied the following month, this time against CaptainZack, with the allegations accusing CaptainZack for pressuring Ally into the relationship and forcing him to drop sets. CaptainZack admitted to hours later, leading to his ban from several events as well as a controversial recommendation for an indefinite ban from the SSBConductPanel in 2020.
There have been attempts to form a unified panel which would investigate allegations and make appropriate decisions, most notably the [[SSB Code of Conduct Panel]], which was formed in 2018. However, decisions from the panel were almost immediately controversial, with their first notable case being a recommendation on unbanning {{Sm|Mafia}}, a choice that was criticized by many tournament organizers.
 
In addition, there were several cases that ultimately tied into the July 2020 allegations, most notably with {{Sm|CaptainZack}}. His relationship with {{Sm|Ally}} was exposed on March 22, 2019, but was not publicly admitted to until June 29, 2019, leading to Ally's subsequent ban. However, additional allegations were levied the following month, this time against CaptainZack, with the allegations accusing CaptainZack for pressuring Ally into the relationship and forcing him to drop sets. CaptainZack admitted to hours later, leading to his ban from several events as well as a controversial recommendation for an indefinite ban from the SSBConductPanel in 2020.


==Timeline==
==Timeline==
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==Aftermath==
==Aftermath==
Since the initial wave and ensuing fallout, more information and testimony came out over time that gave more context to the situations described in the allegations.
The Code of Conduct panel received several reports after the allegations were published. They ultimately chose to disband in December 2020, claiming that they "would need five or ten years" to go through every one of them at their current pace.<ref>[https://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1srgobs SSBConductPanel - Formal Disbanding of the COC]</ref>


Mr. E challenged the allegations against ANTi in a Twitlonger he posted in late August 2020.<ref>https://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1srchqv</ref> He stated that, though ANTi was ultimately at fault for not checking for identification before initiating the sexual encounter, there was no indication that ANTi himself was aware of her age, as per his initial statement. ANTi found her on Tinder, which requires members to be at least 18 years of age to register, so Mr. E concluded that ANTi had little reason to be suspicious until they met in person. Mr. E's statement garnered significant backlash from the community and he would eventually lose his sponsor over it. He would go on to admit that he fully expected backlash but wanted to stand up for what he believed was right.
Since the initial wave and ensuing fallout, more information and testimony came out over time that prompted community members to reevaluate and recontextualize many of the allegations. The first of these came with Mr. E challenging the allegations against ANTi in a Twitlonger he posted in late August 2020.<ref>https://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1srchqv</ref> He stated that, though ANTi was ultimately at fault for not checking for identification before initiating the sexual encounter, there was no indication that ANTi himself was aware of her age, as per his initial statement. ANTi found her on Tinder, which requires members to be at least 18 years of age to register, so Mr. E concluded that ANTi had little reason to be suspicious until they met in person. Mr. E's statement garnered significant backlash from the community and he would eventually lose his sponsor over it. He would go on to admit that he fully expected backlash but wanted to stand up for what he believed was right.


ANTi posted his own response to the allegations to his YouTube channel in January 2021, admitting that he was irresponsible and that he should have checked for identification. However, he also noted that he could not open a court subpoena for the messages he exchanged with her on Tinder to verify or deny Samantha's claim that he forced her to lie about her age, as the statute of limitations expired a year before the allegations became public. Nevertheless, he denied that he was a "predator", as he had been running on the assumption that the girl was of legal age, and his actions, even if he came to disapprove of them, were not illegal under Florida law.<ref>{{citeweb|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNUBjiuj6pY|title=ANTi's apology video}}</ref>
ANTi posted his own response to the allegations to his YouTube channel in January 2021, admitting that he was irresponsible and that he should have checked for identification. However, he also noted that he could not open a court subpoena for the messages he exchanged with her on Tinder to verify or deny Samantha's claim that he forced her to lie about her age, as the statute of limitations expired a year before the allegations became public. Nevertheless, he denied that he was a "predator", as he had been running on the assumption that the girl was of legal age, and his actions, even if he came to disapprove of them, were not illegal under Florida law.<ref>{{citeweb|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNUBjiuj6pY|title=ANTi's apology video}}</ref>
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On October 31, 2022, Technicals uploaded a new video<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFBjrSpeiUE "Exposing the Corruption in the Smash Community"]</ref>, aiming to bring light to events that he argued showed significant corruption in the upper echelons of the ''Smash'' community. His main argument revolved around the Global Ban Database (GBD) created by {{Sm|Cagt}} in September 2020, which he eventually dissolved in August 2022, specifically how Nairo was omitted from it despite his legal liability from sexually contacting a minor, arguing that Cagt was pressured into removing his name following his public absolution. While Cagt claimed the database was only a suggestion, Technicals argued that his status as a major tournament organizer added reasonable doubt that he would not enforce the database onto others with evidence to suggest him doing just that. Technicals also points out that he was on the GBD, though with notes that he was not banned in certain regions like Las Vegas. As a method of protest, Technicals attended {{Trn|Double Down 2022}} with a large sign reading "Ban Nairo"; he was barred from entry on the second day, with the reasoning being his sign was too political and he was on the GBD. On the third day, Technicals disguised himself as a woman to bypass the venue's security, and subsequently had a verbal altercation with {{Sm|GimR}} and {{Sm|Aposl}} that he secretly recorded. He brought up that Nairo frequently re-streams [[VGBC]] content, to which they replied they do not associate with him. Technicals pointed out that it is common practice to ask permission to re-stream, theorizing that they either lied to him about not associating with Nairo or are simply doing nothing to stop him. The "Ban Nairo" sign was later censored out of re-uploads of the matches where it appears on stream.
On October 31, 2022, Technicals uploaded a new video<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFBjrSpeiUE "Exposing the Corruption in the Smash Community"]</ref>, aiming to bring light to events that he argued showed significant corruption in the upper echelons of the ''Smash'' community. His main argument revolved around the Global Ban Database (GBD) created by {{Sm|Cagt}} in September 2020, which he eventually dissolved in August 2022, specifically how Nairo was omitted from it despite his legal liability from sexually contacting a minor, arguing that Cagt was pressured into removing his name following his public absolution. While Cagt claimed the database was only a suggestion, Technicals argued that his status as a major tournament organizer added reasonable doubt that he would not enforce the database onto others with evidence to suggest him doing just that. Technicals also points out that he was on the GBD, though with notes that he was not banned in certain regions like Las Vegas. As a method of protest, Technicals attended {{Trn|Double Down 2022}} with a large sign reading "Ban Nairo"; he was barred from entry on the second day, with the reasoning being his sign was too political and he was on the GBD. On the third day, Technicals disguised himself as a woman to bypass the venue's security, and subsequently had a verbal altercation with {{Sm|GimR}} and {{Sm|Aposl}} that he secretly recorded. He brought up that Nairo frequently re-streams [[VGBC]] content, to which they replied they do not associate with him. Technicals pointed out that it is common practice to ask permission to re-stream, theorizing that they either lied to him about not associating with Nairo or are simply doing nothing to stop him. The "Ban Nairo" sign was later censored out of re-uploads of the matches where it appears on stream.
On January 28, 2024, Hax released a new video titled "The Truth"<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn_J19CgFzo The Truth]</ref> in which he would plead innocent of all accusations of harassment, does not deserve to be banned and should be unbanned immediately, and claims that Leffen conspired with Jisu to harm several members of the community. He also claims that while neither himself and Leffen should not be banned, Leffen should be found guilty of all claims levied against him. He would specifically point out the suspicious timings of when certain people spoke out about their experiences, of which several were later determined to be at least partially fabricated. He also mentioned how Leffen "doctored" the [[Metagame (documentary)|Metagame]] documentary to adhere to his narrative. The video received a mixed reaction upon release. While many viewers and commenters believe that Leffen is a manipulator with a history of underhandedness, the video itself did not necessarily bring much new or compelling evidence towards that claim, and the vindictive tone from Hax himself gave the video the feeling of a revenge piece instead of a genuine investigation. Many also pointed out that Leffen requesting a portion of the metagame documentary be altered due to perceived unfair depictions and the [[Samox|creator]] complying is not the same as doctoring, as Leffen did not have control over the final product. The video has since been privated.


==References==
==References==
The Other Jared
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