TheSuper Smash Bros.esports community has been front and center in an industry-wide upheaval against sexual misconduct, pedophilia, and other untenable acts that has been all over the Internet. Multiple members of theSmash Bros.fighting game community were accusedof various allegations this week, including one of its biggest names: Gonzalo “ZeRo” Barrios.
Barrios was accused of sending inappropriate pictures and making sexual advances toward minors by a number of individuals, and earlier today he came out with astatement that the accusations are “generally true,“though he claims he was unaware of the victims' ages at the time and believes there were no graphic images involved. The esports team hosting Barrios, Tempo Storm, also came out with a statement today saying that it will be severing ties with theSmash Bros.player after reviewing the statements and going through a “comprehensive internal investigation.”
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Tempo Storm says Barrios was transparent during the investigation and confessed to the allegations levied against him. In its statement, the group also says it will be connecting Barrios to rehabilitation resources and offering other members of the community “professional support.” In another post on Twitter, Barrios said he will be “permanently banning” himself fromSuper Smash Bros.events in any capacity because, “I don’t deserve to be there ever again after all this.”
Nintendo has historically separated itself from the fan-driven communities around games likeSuper Smash Bros., and these recent allegations are a good indication of why. With the recent release ofUltimate’s DLC character Min Min fromARMS, it would undoubtedly be a PR nightmare if any accused top-level players were officially endorsed by the company.
Similar allegations and controversies have been made beyond the individual level withSuper Smash Bros.players like Barrios. EA and Ubisoft have recently been in the news for large-scale reports of sexual assault and harassment, and in response,Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot announced structural changesto combat this toxicity.
