Published , by Ozzie Mejia
Published , by Ozzie Mejia
It's 3:30AM PT as I sit to write this. Everything is a haze. You know the expression "It feels like only yesterday" in reference to something a long time ago? This feels like it's been months, but it was literally only yesterday. For those who haven't followed the news, the Super Smash Bros. esports world is in total tatters in the wake of multiple accusations of sexual misconduct, several of them involving minors. A lot of those accusations were levied after the midnight hour. And when added up, all of this can only be described as a complete cataclysm of a competitive scene.
It's hard to remember what exactly got this shameful ball rolling, but one of the most publicized incidents involved Cinnamon "Cinnpie" Dunson, a prominent Smash caster. Troy "Puppeh" Wells released a TwitLonger statement on Wednesday alleging that Dunson had sexually abused him while he was only 14 years of age. Wells went into heavy detail regarding inappropriate advances that later led to an unwanted sexual relationship. Dunson has not responded to the allegations, but clips began to surface from on-stream tournaments where she could be seen touching Wells in an inappropriate manner.
As bad as this looked (and it looked bad), little did anybody know that this would only be the beginning. Here's what ensued since late Wednesday evening after midnight on the east coast:
Those are the biggest names, but they're far from the only incidents. Multiple accusations have poured in throughout the week from across different corners of the country alleging sexual abuse against different pro Smash Bros. players, some accusing Tournament Organizers of knowing what was happening and choosing to look the other way. There's been case after case after case after case after case, on and on and on. Every one of these cases is heinous in their own way and all point to a competitive Smash Bros. scene that looks to have become rotten to its core.
There are a few takeaways from the dozens of reports of sexual misconduct that have come down over the past week. The first one, above all else, is to move beyond the total betrayal from these people, many of whom were considered role models and looked up to by younger members of the community, and stand by the victims of these horrific incidents. Sexual misconduct is horrible by itself, but there's an extra level of atrociousness to these crimes against minors. And regardless of whether there was "consent" or not, that's exactly what these are. These are crimes! If minors are involved, those are crimes! Believe victims, listen to their stories, stand with them. Sometimes, new information can arise that changes the situation. That's normal. But until such a thing happens, stand with the victims, because lord knows they've been through enough and there are few things worse than being the victim of something vile and having nobody believe your story.
The next takeaway? Good lord above, where the hell does anybody in the competitive Super Smash Bros. scene go from here?
The answer certainly sounds simple. Keep this up. Keep outing predators. If you are the victim of something this atrocious, keep coming forward. You will inevitably get people who dismiss or mock your pain. However, the Smash community has had enough of this. The world beyond Smash too if the wave of accusations throughout the gaming and streaming industry are any indication. Everybody is tired of this depravity, this evil, this wickedness. This scene came together in the first place out of a love for a video game. It's time to work towards going back to that.
But while the answer sounds simple, it's going to take real work on the part of the remaining community members. There is no getting around this. This is going to be one of the biggest black eyes in esports history. And it goes beyond the role model element. This could have adverse effects on Smash esports for years to come. PG Stats' own Luis "Suar" Suarez came forward and noted that the international Smash community now fears sending minors to future events. Who can blame them?
One suggestion that is gaining traction is for minors to no longer be allowed at events without being accompanied by a parent or guardian. That's certainly a good start. Another suggestion is for the remaining community to be much more mindful of the actions of their peers, as well as their own. Again, these sound like simple fixes, but they don't work unless there is actual effort put in. And with OS New York City among those who will be taking a long, hard look at how to make Smash a safer place, there's at least some comfort in knowing that the process is starting.
And it has to start. William "Leffen" Hjelte alludes to it, but if there is no fix to this, then Smash Bros. doesn't deserve an esports scene.
Super Smash Bros. has been one of my favorite games to watch from a competitive standpoint. But there's no sugarcoating this. This has been the worst week in its history and it stands a chance to get even worse, because there may still yet be more shocking allegations down the road. But if we have to strap in for another nuclear blast to ensure people can take part in this community safely, then that's just what it takes. Hopefully, if the threats are truly removed, the healing process can begin.