The ’Super Smash Bros.’ Community Reckons With Sexual Misconduct Allegations

Over the past week, allegations of rampant sexual misconduct have quaked the Super Smash Bros. pantheon of top players and personalities.

From the most celebrated Smash Twitch streamers to longtime tournament champions and local heroes, the Smash community is reeling from a series of dark revelations. Dozens have come forward on Twitter to describe alleged grooming, sexual assault, and statutory rape they’ve experienced from Smash pros and commentators, some of whom have hundreds of thousands of followers on Twitch and YouTube.

The allegations come amid a broader reckoning over sexual misconduct in the videogame industry. But in interviews with WIRED, competitive Smash players and fans say the community’s informal structure, egalitarian ideals, and multigenerational appeal have all inadvertently contributed to an unsafe environment. Others say a culture of hero worship and a fear of social repercussions have allowed misconduct to fly under the radar for years. As the Smash esports #MeToo moment persists, those closest to the game are taking a biopsy of its rotten tissue.

“Growing up in the Smash scene, I’ve always said that it’s a wonderful place. It doesn’t matter who you are, what gender you are, how old you are. It just matters what character you play and what value you bring,” says Smash player Nico “Ryobeat” Rodriguez. “Looking back, it’s just not true.”

On July 1, a Smash player who goes by Puppeh wrote a Twitlonger post describing an alleged sexual relationship he had with Smash commentator Cinnamon “Cinnpie” Dunson when he was 14 and she was 24. On that same day, a player who goes by Mikey alleged on Twitter that Joey “Mr. Wizard” Cuellar, CEO and organizer for EVO, the largest fighting game tournament in the world, allegedly had him strip down to his underwear in exchange for game tokens when he was a minor. (Since then, at least one woman has come out alleging that Mikey sexually harassed her.)

Dunson has not responded to the allegations. Cuellar apologized and noted that he “did things I’m not proud of” in a now-deleted tweet. EVO removed Cueller and this year’s EVO Online tournament is canceled.

"It let people who are shady take advantage of everything."

The next day, a woman wrote a post stating that when she was 18 and at a party after a Smash event, she and commentator D’Ron “D1” Maingrette had sexual relations she said she did not consent to because she was too drunk. Another woman alleged that when she was 16, Smash commentator Richard “Keitaro” King, who was reportedly 29 at the time, gave her alcohol and had sex with her. Smash player Zack “CaptainZack” Lauth wrote a post describing how, when he was 15, he had a sexual encounter with top player and Smash Twitch streamer Nairoby “Nairo” Quezada, who was then 20. (In 2019, former top Smash player Elliot Bastien “Ally” Carroza-Oyarce, who was in his late twenties, retired after admitting he had a relationship with Lauth, who was still a minor.) And Gonzalo “Zero” Barrios, the best Smash 4 player and top Smash streamer, allegedly harassed Smash community member and artist Jacqueline "Jisu" Choe with pornographic images when she was 15, and also flirted with another girl, who goes by Katie, when she was also a minor.

Maingrette wrote a post apologizing to his accuser, acknowledging that she was drunk and alleged that he too was drunk and could not consent. King wrote a Twitlonger admitting he had sex with the minor while she was drunk. Quezada publicly apologized to Lauth. His esports team, NRG, removed him. Barrios admitted to his behavior toward Katie and to speaking with another underage girl in 2014, whom he says he did not know was underage. He apologized to Choe as well. He banned himself from Smash events and his team, Tempo Storm, removed him. None of these players or commentators responded to WIRED’s requests for comment about these allegations.