Editing Smasher:Hax
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| 2ndmainpm = Captain Falcon | | 2ndmainpm = Captain Falcon | ||
| mainssb4 = Captain Falcon | | mainssb4 = Captain Falcon | ||
| crew = | | crew = | ||
| former sponsors = [[CLASH Tournaments]], [[VGBootCamp]], [[Even Matchup Gaming]] | | former sponsors = [[CLASH Tournaments]], [[VGBootCamp]], [[Even Matchup Gaming]] | ||
| former crews = S.W.A.T. | | former crews = S.W.A.T. | ||
| rankingssbm = [[MPGR 2019]]: 19th | | rankingssbm = [[MPGR 2019]]: 19th | ||
| bestrankingssbm = [[SSBMRank 2013]]: 6th | | bestrankingssbm = [[SSBMRank 2013]]: 6th | ||
| winningsssbm = ~$14,018.18 | | winningsssbm = ~$14,018.18 | ||
| realname = Aziz Al-Yami | | realname = Aziz Al-Yami | ||
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| country = United States | | country = United States | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''Hax$''' (pronounced "Hax Money"), informally known as '''Hax''', is a ''[[ | '''Hax$''' (pronounced "Hax Money"), informally known as '''Hax''', is a ''[[Melee]]'' player based in Manhattan. He used to solo [[main]] {{SSBM|Captain Falcon}} with the [[Alternate costume (SSBM)#Captain Falcon|pink costume]] (commonly known as Captain Fabulous); however, in early 2014, he switched to solo maining {{SSBM|Fox}}, and was widely regarded as the most technical Fox player when he was still active. In April 2016, he went on a indefinite hiatus due to having a calcified FCU tendon, which was left untreated because no surgeon was willing to remove it. During this hiatus, he began working on the [[B0XX]], a controller designed in a similar vein to the Smash Box by Hitbox, after having tested the Smash Box and finding it unsatisfactory. He has also slowly made a return to competitive ''Melee'' as of March 2017, having finally been treated for his hand problems. He would attend various ''Melee'' events showcasing the potential of the B0XX, and spent a long time balancing it to be as fair to a GameCube controller as possible. By 2019, he was considered to be playing at a level similar to when he played on a GameCube controller. | ||
Hax was formerly ranked 2nd on the [[New York City Power Rankings|New York City Melee Power Rankings]] and 19th on the [[2019 MPGR]]. | Hax was formerly ranked 2nd on the [[New York City Power Rankings|New York City Melee Power Rankings]] and 19th on the [[2019 MPGR]]. | ||
He joined [[Even Matchup Gaming]] on January 29th, 2019.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua1lE1YlprQ Hax joins EMG]</ref> He left the team on January 7th, 2021.<ref>[https://twitter.com/EvenMatchup/status/1354603266403946499 Hax leaves EMG]</ref> | He joined [[Even Matchup Gaming]] on January 29th, 2019.<ref> [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua1lE1YlprQ Hax joins EMG]</ref> He left the team on January 7th, 2021.<ref> [https://twitter.com/EvenMatchup/status/1354603266403946499 Hax leaves EMG]</ref> | ||
As of June 2021, Hax$ has been banned from tournaments due to repeated - allegedly defamatory - remarks made towards {{Sm|Leffen}}, and Hax's persistent reinforcement of these statements<ref name="Hax Ban" />, which were deemed to constitute harassment. | |||
==Tournament History== | |||
{{cleanup|More information about post-ban era activity and other information that may be notable. Paragraphs could also be simplified.}} | |||
===Origin of the name=== | ===Origin of the name=== | ||
Hax used to be into competitive Pokémon. In the context of competitive Pokémon, "hax" is lingo for the uncontrollable RNG involved in battles, such as critical hits, that can sometimes undeservedly turn the tide of a match. The high number of angry players who would call "hax" after severe losses due to this prompted Hax to name himself after this term. When switching to competitive ''Melee'', Hax wanted a fourth character in the space given for [[Name|tags]] in-game, and decided to add the dollar sign to it, eventually giving birth to "Hax$" or "Hax Money". | Hax used to be into competitive Pokémon. In the context of competitive Pokémon, "hax" is lingo for the uncontrollable RNG involved in battles, such as critical hits, that can sometimes undeservedly turn the tide of a match. The high number of angry players who would call "hax" after severe losses due to this prompted Hax to name himself after this term. When switching to competitive ''Melee'', Hax wanted a fourth character in the space given for [[Name|tags]] in-game, and decided to add the dollar sign to it, eventually giving birth to "Hax$" or "Hax Money". | ||
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Hax made his full return to Smash after recovering from his hand surgery at [[Super Nebulous 3]] in late April 2015. He lost to {{Sm|Nintendude}} in winners semis 2-3, getting sent to losers. After beating Wizzrobe 3-1, he lost to Lucky in losers semis 2-3, placing 4th. | Hax made his full return to Smash after recovering from his hand surgery at [[Super Nebulous 3]] in late April 2015. He lost to {{Sm|Nintendude}} in winners semis 2-3, getting sent to losers. After beating Wizzrobe 3-1, he lost to Lucky in losers semis 2-3, placing 4th. | ||
In July 2015, Hax announced another hiatus. In [http://ssbmhax.blogspot.com/2015/07/why-ive-been-out.html a blog post], he discussed his insomnia, which worsened whenever he was at a tournament. Hax surmised that his insomnia may be linked to his his perfectionist "20XX" mentality. Hax said he would still practice and attend some major tournaments, such as Apex and EVO, but would not attend as many tournaments until his insomnia was under control. {{Sm|Tafokints}} made a video detailing Hax's condition, saying that he, as of writing, was in a cast for his prior injury, but had been making progress, and would return in the near future. | In July 2015, Hax announced another hiatus. In [http://ssbmhax.blogspot.com/2015/07/why-ive-been-out.html?m=1 a blog post], he discussed his insomnia, which worsened whenever he was at a tournament. Hax surmised that his insomnia may be linked to his his perfectionist "20XX" mentality. Hax said he would still practice and attend some major tournaments, such as Apex and EVO, but would not attend as many tournaments until his insomnia was under control. {{Sm|Tafokints}} made a video detailing Hax's condition, saying that he, as of writing, was in a cast for his prior injury, but had been making progress, and would return in the near future. | ||
===2016: Second return and third hiatus=== | ===2016: Second return and third hiatus=== | ||
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===2019-2020: Partial resurgence=== | ===2019-2020: Partial resurgence=== | ||
Hax had a rough start to 2019, placing 17th at [[GENESIS 6]] and only winning some smaller tournaments. The Summer MPGR placed Hax at 25th in the world. Hax's results began to pick up in the summer when he got 9th at [[Shine 2019]], he then went on to place 3rd at [[Mango's Birthday Bash]] beating {{ | Hax had a rough start to 2019, placing 17th at [[GENESIS 6]] and only winning some smaller tournaments. The Summer MPGR placed Hax at 25th in the world. Hax's results began to pick up in the summer when he got 9th at [[Shine 2019]], he then went on to place 3rd at [[Mango's Birthday Bash]] beating {{sm|Hungrybox}} in the process. This led to Hax's being ranked at 19th, 19 places better than in 2018. At the start of 2020, Hax attended [[GENESIS 7]] where he was knocked into losers early by {{sm|Leffen}}. He beat {{sm|SFAT}}, {{sm|Westballz}}, {{sm|PewPewU}} and {{sm|Shroomed}} for the opportunity to play {{sm|Leffen}} again, in which Hax won 3-1. Hax placed 4th at [[GENESIS 7]] after being reverse 3-0'd by {{sm|Hungrybox}}. This placement also qualified him for one of the few invite spots to {{Trn|Smash Summit 9}}, where he placed 7th. | ||
==Playing style== | ==Playing style== | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|{{Trn|The Come Up 2023|g=SSBM}}||April 22nd, 2023||4th||—||—|| | |{{Trn|The Come Up 2023|g=SSBM}}||April 22nd, 2023||4th||—||—|| | ||
|- | |- | ||
|{{Trn|The Coinbox #61|g=SSBM}}{{OnlineIcon}}||May 16th, 2023||3rd||—||—||$900 | |{{Trn|The Coinbox #61|g=SSBM}}{{OnlineIcon}}||May 16th, 2023||3rd||—||—||$900 | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|{{Trn|The Coinbox #66|g=SSBM}}{{OnlineIcon}}||June 27th, 2023||2nd / 344||—||—||$1,000 | |{{Trn|The Coinbox #66|g=SSBM}}{{OnlineIcon}}||June 27th, 2023||2nd / 344||—||—||$1,000 | ||
|- | |- | ||
|{{Trn|The Coinbox #68|g=SSBM}}{{OnlineIcon}}||July 11th, 2023||1st / 296||—||—||$1,200 | |{{Trn|The Coinbox #68|g=SSBM}}{{OnlineIcon}}||July 11th, 2023||1st / 296||—||—||$1,200 | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|{{Trn|The Function 3|g=SSBM}}||November 11th, 2023||4th / 259||—||—|| | |{{Trn|The Function 3|g=SSBM}}||November 11th, 2023||4th / 259||—||—|| | ||
|- | |- | ||
|{{Trn|DreamHack Atlanta 2023|g=SSBM}}||December 15th-17th, 2023||1st / 130||—||—|| | |{{Trn|DreamHack Atlanta 2023|g=SSBM}}||December 15th-17th, 2023||1st / 130||—||—|| | ||
|- | |- | ||
|{{Trn|S Factor 11|g=SSBM}}||July 13th-14th, 2024||2nd / 172||—||—|| | |{{Trn|S Factor 11|g=SSBM}}||July 13th-14th, 2024||2nd / 172||—||—|| | ||
|} | |} | ||
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|[http://smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=222585 G.I.M.P.E.D. 1]||February 22nd, 2009||25th||9th||{{Sm|Basic Sausage}} | |[http://smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=222585 G.I.M.P.E.D. 1]||February 22nd, 2009||25th||9th||{{Sm|Basic Sausage}} | ||
|} | |} | ||
==Controversies== | ==Controversies== | ||
===Evidence.zip 2=== | ===Evidence.zip 2=== | ||
On June 4th, 2021, Hax posted a | On June 4th, 2021, Hax posted a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKixeJmH2MQ YouTube video] and accompanying PDF file titled "Evidence.zip 2",<ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZBIB0pdC2-CuFL0-2JsRyjurKmv4JfJm/ Hax's evidence.zip 2 PDF]</ref> claiming in a tweet that it would "decide the fate of the entire ''Smash'' community."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/ssbmhax/status/1401025253564895235|title=Initial Tweet}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeUf6S_b-_U|title=Evidence.zip 2 reuploaded}}</ref> The video, named as a sequel to the archive file that was used to advocate a ban for {{Sm|Leffen}} back in 2013, alleges that Leffen has mentally abused several people in his quest to become the best player, having been leery about him ever since his first interactions with him on SmashBoards in 2011. He urged the community to reconsider whom they were following and alleged several claims, or "charges", against Leffen: | ||
*Leffen has for several years attempted to systematically take control of the community by constantly pointing out others' flaws and downplaying his own to perpetually attempt to garner sympathy. | *Leffen has for several years attempted to systematically take control of the community by constantly pointing out others' flaws and downplaying his own to perpetually attempt to garner sympathy. | ||
*Leffen has never been explicit about the truth of the archive or his initial forgiveness plea, citing incendiary comments he made after the archive was first posted and right before his initial plea, and that the initial plea was a dishonest apology. | *Leffen has never been explicit about the truth of the archive or his initial forgiveness plea, citing incendiary comments he made after the archive was first posted and right before his initial plea, and that the initial plea was a dishonest apology. | ||
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*Leffen used the fallout following the [[2020 Super Smash Bros. sexual misconduct allegations|wave of harassment allegations back in July of 2020]] to usurp the follower base of players that had been accused to present himself as a leader and safety net for people that had been mistreated by top players. | *Leffen used the fallout following the [[2020 Super Smash Bros. sexual misconduct allegations|wave of harassment allegations back in July of 2020]] to usurp the follower base of players that had been accused to present himself as a leader and safety net for people that had been mistreated by top players. | ||
The video drew massive derision and backlash from the community | The video drew massive derision and backlash from the community, with many in particular condemning Hax's choice to analogize Leffen to political figures such as Adolf Hitler and accuse him of trying to establish a "totalitarian regime". Nevertheless, there are also many who claim that Hax's video has merit, if not tainted in overly dramatic language and comparisons, and point to the community's history in being overly forgiving of its best players as reason to not entirely dismiss Hax's accusations. Leffen himself posted that he was unsure of his next course of action and would be speaking to a lawyer.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/TSM_Leffen/status/1401031413143642112|title=Leffen on Hax's post}}</ref> Hax would eventually private the video, which has since been reuploaded by multiple smaller channels. | ||
In response to the video, on June 9th, Beyond the Smash banned Hax from attending {{Trn|Smash Summit 11}} in any capacity,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/BTSsmash/status/1402767685637722113|title=BTS's ban on Hax}}</ref> citing safety concerns and believing the video promoted harassment and threats. | In response to the video, on June 9th, Beyond the Smash banned Hax from attending {{Trn|Smash Summit 11}} in any capacity,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/BTSsmash/status/1402767685637722113|title=BTS's ban on Hax}}</ref> citing safety concerns and believing the video promoted harassment and threats. | ||
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On June 11th, 2021, Hax published a revised version of the video,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0FfakLr8O8|title=The second video}}</ref> which in contrast was an hour shorter and consisted solely of Hax talking in front of the camera. Hax would speak on the subject through Twitter, posting an apology for the presentation of "Evidence.zip 2"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1srnt6t|title=TwitLonger — @ssbmhax: Why I created Evidence.zip 2 / My closing thoughts for the time being}}</ref> and continuing to post comments about the "situation" of the ''Smash'' scene. The revised video would also be privated later on. | On June 11th, 2021, Hax published a revised version of the video,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0FfakLr8O8|title=The second video}}</ref> which in contrast was an hour shorter and consisted solely of Hax talking in front of the camera. Hax would speak on the subject through Twitter, posting an apology for the presentation of "Evidence.zip 2"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1srnt6t|title=TwitLonger — @ssbmhax: Why I created Evidence.zip 2 / My closing thoughts for the time being}}</ref> and continuing to post comments about the "situation" of the ''Smash'' scene. The revised video would also be privated later on. | ||
=== | ===iBDW conflict=== | ||
On June 21st, 2021, {{Sm| | On June 21st, 2021, {{Sm|iBDW}} accused Hax for downplaying and making fun of iBDW's story of being sexually assaulted by his own mother.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/iBDWSSBM/status/1407082926337150976|title=iBDW's initial post}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1sro2d0|title=TwitLonger — @iBDWSSBM: Hax's Rebuttal}}</ref> iBDW also tweeted that he attempted to retrieve evidence to support his claims from Facebook messages, but that Hax had deleted the relevant messages.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/iBDWSSBM/status/1407774396656324611|title=iBDW saying Hax deleted Facebook messages}}</ref> Hax responded in a series of now-deleted Tweets, accusing iBDW for faking the story in order to gain Hax's sympathy as well as taking his comment out-of-context.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://imgur.com/a/cr4nMjM|title=Hax's response, archived}}</ref> | ||
Due to both the | Due to both the iBDW and Leffen controversies, on June 21st, {{Sm|Tiramisu}} announced that Hax was banned from the Melee Online Discord server.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/SSBM_tiramisu/status/1407140198048219137|title=Hax's online ban}}</ref> | ||
Following the accusation and ban, as well as the evidence.zip 2 controversy, Hax posted a TwitLonger on June 23rd, in which he apologized on how he handled both controversies and claimed to "exonerate" himself from | Following the accusation and ban, as well as the evidence.zip 2 controversy, Hax posted a TwitLonger on June 23rd, in which he apologized on how he handled both controversies and claimed to "exonerate" himself from iBDW's claims.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1sro2bu|title=TwitLonger — @ssbmhax: Apology, self-imposed hiatus, and exoneration from @iBDWSSBM's claims|accessdate=2021-06-23|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20210623181226/https://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1sro2bu|archivedate=2021-06-23}}</ref> However, he refused to backtrack on any of the accusations made to both Leffen and iBDW. In particular, he reiterated how iBDW falsified many parts of his story in order to salvage their decaying friendship, and after that failed, iBDW went on to make several defamatory statements on Hax to try and ruin his reputation. Hax concluded the TwitLonger by once again apologizing for his behavior within the last few months and stating that he was willing to ban himself for 3 months due to how he initially handled iBDW's accusations. Hax then posted a second TwitLonger a few hours later, in which he further responded to iBDW's rebuttal, paragraph by paragraph.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1sro2ju|title=TwitLonger — @ssbmhax: Response to @iBDWSSBM's TwitLonger|accessdate=2021-06-23|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20210623224625/https://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1sro2ju|archivedate=2021-06-23}}</ref> Hax concluded this TwitLonger by asking iBDW to both contact him in private and dismiss his claims against him, lest he take legal action against him. | ||
Within an hour of posting the second TwitLonger, Hax deleted his tweets that linked to both of the TwitLongers he had posted that day. He then tweeted that he would take a hiatus, saying he didn't find it possible to continue discussing the controversies.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/ssbmhax/status/1407844466984161281|title=Hax beginning a hiatus}}</ref> In the tweet, he also apologized to the community and reiterated his request for | Within an hour of posting the second TwitLonger, Hax deleted his tweets that linked to both of the TwitLongers he had posted that day. He then tweeted that he would take a hiatus, saying he didn't find it possible to continue discussing the controversies.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/ssbmhax/status/1407844466984161281|title=Hax beginning a hiatus}}</ref> In the tweet, he also apologized to the community and reiterated his request for iBDW to contact him. The next day, iBDW revealed in a Twitter thread that the two indeed talked in private and were now mostly on the same page, noting that Hax is "clearly not cool with sexual assault/incest."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/iBDWSSBM/status/1408141235253039109|title=iBDW's thread addressing his private conversation with Hax}}</ref> Hax also returned to Twitter to post about the conversation, apologizing to iBDW, whom he called "a good man," and the community while also limiting his guilt to certain comments he made in his own Discord server.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/ssbmhax/status/1408153929456705538|title=Hax's statement on his conversation with iBDW}}</ref> | ||
===Ban from events=== | ===Ban from events=== | ||
In June 2021, on the same day as | In June 2021, on the same day as iBDW's final announcement, several TOs from many US states signed a document that banned Hax from their tournaments, and his name was added to the Global Ban Database.<ref name="Hax Ban">{{cite web|url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qrO5TlLztX-9s7cI78_EfWNepIaHkwVa3379mC_glrw/edit|title=Hax's indefinite ban}}</ref> The ban was made using the previous [[SSB Code of Conduct Panel]]'s 2.2.1 (Level 2) and 2.2.3 (Level 3) offences and was deemed indefinite. | ||
The ban reasoning can be summarised as follows: | |||
# The accusations were deemed baseless, particularly comparing Leffen's presence as a totalitarian regime, the belief that Leffen solely called out ZeRo for personal gain, and saying that Leffen would prefer ZeRo was dead following his suicide attempt. | |||
# The calls to deplatform Leffen constituted incitement for harassment, and his fanbase response shows that this incitement has teeth to it. | |||
# Hax$'s refusal to recant the statements and double down, only deeming the flaws as "tactical errors", show a lack of remorse for his actions and that these were fully intentional, not simply mistakes. | |||
Under the rationale of the accusations being baseless, considering the 4 hours of content and the 136-page document, these remarks were deemed extremely severe and constituted an indefinite ban from events. | |||
Notable events banning Hax$ include [[GENESIS]], {{Trn|Shine}}, [[Phoenix Blue]], [[Riptide]], [[The Big House]], and [[DreamHack]]. Outside of several US states, Hax$ is also banned from Austrian, British, Finnish, and Portuguese events, as well as Melee Online events. | Notable events banning Hax$ include [[GENESIS]], {{Trn|Shine}}, [[Phoenix Blue]], [[Riptide]], [[The Big House]], and [[DreamHack]]. Outside of several US states, Hax$ is also banned from Austrian, British, Finnish, and Portuguese events, as well as Melee Online events. | ||
As of | As of January 2024, Hax$ has been unbanned from some events, but not all, prompting continued ban appeals. | ||
===Evidence.zip 3 & ban appeal=== | ===Evidence.zip 3 & ban appeal=== | ||
On August 14th, 2021, Hax released another revision to his video called [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msy4E3ScZVk Evidence.zip 3]. In the video, | On August 14th, 2021, Hax released another revision to his video called [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msy4E3ScZVk Evidence.zip 3]. In the video, he accuses Leffen of creating social engineering campaigns against multiple players, such as {{Sm|Hungrybox}} and Hax himself. The video also reiterates multiple allegations from "evidence.zip 2", such as character profiles from the original "evidence.zip" and alleged harassment levied towards Hax himself. Hax alleges that Leffen deleted 6 years worth of tweets in response to his evidence.zip 2 video, as well as being lawyer-bluffed. Hax also criticises his global ban from the scene, saying that his accusations had evidence and were not libelous or defamatory as his ban statement claimed, as well as claiming that his ban was hypocritical when doing nothing in regards to Leffen. | ||
Building on some accusations from "evidence.zip 2", Hax points out Leffen's sudden tonal shift towards Hungrybox in 2017 and accuses him of social engineering against Hungrybox to usurp his followerbase. Hax discusses where he tried to talk Leffen out of this at [[Smash Summit 5]], but failed to do so. Hax accuses Leffen of blackmailing Hungrybox during 2017, where he continually talked about "terrible things" Hungrybox was doing but never releasing them; Hax claims that this prompted Hungrybox to stay silent. Hax also claims that the then newly introduced {{Sm|Snowy}} was used by Leffen in his now-deleted "One of many reasons to dislike hbox" video to create "Hungrybox story" memes, which eventually culminated into Hungrybox being harassed in a Walmart store in April 2018. Hax also argues that Leffen later decided Snowy was of no use to him and began to openly slander him. | Building on some accusations from "evidence.zip 2", Hax points out Leffen's sudden tonal shift towards Hungrybox in 2017 and accuses him of social engineering against Hungrybox to usurp his followerbase. Hax discusses where he tried to talk Leffen out of this at [[Smash Summit 5]], but failed to do so. Hax accuses Leffen of blackmailing Hungrybox during 2017, where he continually talked about "terrible things" Hungrybox was doing but never releasing them; Hax claims that this prompted Hungrybox to stay silent. Hax also claims that the then newly introduced {{Sm|Snowy}} was used by Leffen in his now-deleted "One of many reasons to dislike hbox" video to create "Hungrybox story" memes, which eventually culminated into Hungrybox being harassed in a Walmart store in April 2018. Hax also argues that Leffen later decided Snowy was of no use to him and began to openly slander him. | ||
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Hax once again accused Leffen of manipulating the #MeToo movement, pointing out that the victim testimony given in [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Y9Mfch7XXg his video on the allegations in the Smash community] on July 2nd contradicted C's statement in the original evidence.zip, which pinned Leffen himself as the abuser. He also accused Leffen of misrepresenting and even contradicting many claims in his videos on the topic, as well as making insincere tweets to "gain clout". Hax further criticised Leffen for circulating the rumour about {{Sm|Mew2King}} masturbating on a Smash player, which was [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVuEST8RdL8 proven to be false after Mew2King addressed the allegations]. Earlier in the video but relevant to this topic, Hax built upon {{Sm|Technicals}}' video on Sky Williams and also accused Leffen of conspiring with {{Sm|Jisu}}, whom he claimed was manipulative when they were dating, to defame {{Sm|ZeRo}} with baseless allegations, before verifiable accusations against him had emerged. He restated Technicals' claims that Leffen's allegations of ZeRo sharing pornographic images with other Smashers were moot, for not only were they of age, but they also testified that they were looking at normal images of anime girls instead of porn. Hax also pointed out that, prior to Jisu's allegations against ZeRo, Jisu contacted Leffen, and made [https://twitter.com/JisuArtist/status/1278843558401675264 her tweet statement] only minutes after Leffen tweeted that he would log out of [[Twitter]] to gather his thoughts. Hax claimed that this was strategic and part of the conspiracy, accusing Leffen of drawing attention to the allegations for personal gain and trying to become the most popular Smasher on [[Twitter]] by forcing ZeRo into retirement, allegedly in a similar manner to the way Leffen treated Hungrybox. Hax also believes that Leffen's wish to expel {{Sm|Technicals}} from the community in response to [[Smasher:ZeRo#Challenges_to_the_allegations|their challenges to the allegations]] is an attempt to further manipulate the situation. | Hax once again accused Leffen of manipulating the #MeToo movement, pointing out that the victim testimony given in [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Y9Mfch7XXg his video on the allegations in the Smash community] on July 2nd contradicted C's statement in the original evidence.zip, which pinned Leffen himself as the abuser. He also accused Leffen of misrepresenting and even contradicting many claims in his videos on the topic, as well as making insincere tweets to "gain clout". Hax further criticised Leffen for circulating the rumour about {{Sm|Mew2King}} masturbating on a Smash player, which was [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVuEST8RdL8 proven to be false after Mew2King addressed the allegations]. Earlier in the video but relevant to this topic, Hax built upon {{Sm|Technicals}}' video on Sky Williams and also accused Leffen of conspiring with {{Sm|Jisu}}, whom he claimed was manipulative when they were dating, to defame {{Sm|ZeRo}} with baseless allegations, before verifiable accusations against him had emerged. He restated Technicals' claims that Leffen's allegations of ZeRo sharing pornographic images with other Smashers were moot, for not only were they of age, but they also testified that they were looking at normal images of anime girls instead of porn. Hax also pointed out that, prior to Jisu's allegations against ZeRo, Jisu contacted Leffen, and made [https://twitter.com/JisuArtist/status/1278843558401675264 her tweet statement] only minutes after Leffen tweeted that he would log out of [[Twitter]] to gather his thoughts. Hax claimed that this was strategic and part of the conspiracy, accusing Leffen of drawing attention to the allegations for personal gain and trying to become the most popular Smasher on [[Twitter]] by forcing ZeRo into retirement, allegedly in a similar manner to the way Leffen treated Hungrybox. Hax also believes that Leffen's wish to expel {{Sm|Technicals}} from the community in response to [[Smasher:ZeRo#Challenges_to_the_allegations|their challenges to the allegations]] is an attempt to further manipulate the situation. | ||
Hax criticised Leffen for his response to {{Sm|Samox}}'s {{B|Metagame|documentary}} documentary, claiming he lied about his old controversies and pressured Samox to "censor" victim testimonies and other information regarding them. Hax also expressed concern about the revised version of the documentary, particularly regarding the narrative about the original evidence.zip and the portrayal of Leffen as a "hero", as well as how Leffen now had a theme song deriding the evidence.zip archive. He alleged that this set a precedent for top players to lie and control the narrative, and argued that Samox had not only become one of Leffen's "victims" by giving into Leffen's manipulations, but broke his "integrity" as a purveyor of facts by underrepresenting the accusations in evidence.zip. | Hax criticised Leffen for his response to {{Sm|Samox}}'s {{B|Metagame|documentary}} documentary, claiming he lied about his old controversies and pressured Samox to "censor" victim testimonies and other information regarding them. Hax also expressed concern about the revised version of the documentary, particularly regarding the narrative about the original evidence.zip and the portrayal of Leffen as a "hero", as well as how Leffen now had a theme song deriding the evidence.zip archive. He alleged that this set a precedent for top players to lie and control the narrative, and argued that Samox had not only become one of Leffen's "victims" by giving into Leffen's manipulations, but broke his "integrity" as a purveyor of facts by underrepresenting the accusations in evidence.zip. | ||
Hax's final accusations targeted Leffen's social media behavior, particularly the alleged dishonesty of his profile bio's and him blocking anyone attempting to discuss the allegations on either Twitter or his [[Twitch]] stream. He restated a claim from evidence.zip 2 that this behavior exhibited a degree of narcissism and psychopathy indicative of the {{Iw|wikipedia|dark triad}}, something he believes those who testified in evidence.zip were worried would eventually "erode" the ''Smash'' scene. Hax also condemned Leffen for allegedly letting this behavior rub off on people like Jisu, who went silent on social media for several days after Technicals' video on Sky Williams and never offered a proper response to it, whilst blocking anyone that attempted to discuss it. Hax concluded the video by admitting that accusing Leffen of creating a "regime" is extreme, but alleged that there was no better way to describe Leffen's actions. | Hax's final accusations targeted Leffen's social media behavior, particularly the alleged dishonesty of his profile bio's and him blocking anyone attempting to discuss the allegations on either Twitter or his [[Twitch]] stream. He restated a claim from evidence.zip 2 that this behavior exhibited a degree of narcissism and psychopathy indicative of the {{Iw|wikipedia|dark triad}}, something he believes those who testified in evidence.zip were worried would eventually "erode" the ''Smash'' scene. Hax also condemned Leffen for allegedly letting this behavior rub off on people like Jisu, who went silent on social media for several days after Technicals' video on Sky Williams and never offered a proper response to it, whilst blocking anyone that attempted to discuss it. Hax concluded the video by admitting that accusing Leffen of creating a "regime" is extreme, but alleged that there was no better way to describe Leffen's actions. | ||
The video was criticised primarily for the same reasons as "evidence.zip 2", with onlookers expressing skepticism for a myriad of Hax's claims. Many argued that Hax's videos were indeed defamatory, with them believing that the claims and motives are out of character or even extreme. Others have criticised Hax for repeatedly using the original evidence.zip, believing that Leffen has changed and the antiquated nature of the document makes it questionable to cite. Finally, the video was criticised for comparing Leffen to Donald Trump as an allegory to paint the former as "totalitarian" | The video was criticised primarily for the same reasons as "evidence.zip 2", with onlookers expressing skepticism for a myriad of Hax's claims. Many argued that Hax's videos were indeed defamatory, with them believing that the claims and motives are out of character or even extreme. Others have criticised Hax for repeatedly using the original evidence.zip, believing that Leffen has changed and the antiquated nature of the document makes it questionable to cite. Finally, the video was criticised for comparing Leffen to Donald Trump as an allegory to paint the former as "totalitarian". Nevertheless, some in the community have chosen to side with Hax, particularly those who watched Technicals' video on Sky Williams and agreed that there is precedent for Leffen manipulating situations for his own benefit, as well as agreeing that Hax's ban was unjustified and hypocritical. | ||
===Continued ban appeals & apologies=== | |||
On August 29th 2021, Hax released another video contesting his ban from the scene,<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9JhFRMsfM0 Hax - Public Appeal to My Ban from SSBM Tournaments]</ref> which directly addresses a document by Mikey outlining the reasons for his ban.<ref>[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hvwt27rktDHq4jlExKoqts7VIh4GAuI6Dx2ZjIfnAFc/edit Mikey's document explaining the reasons for Hax's ban]</ref> He criticized the statement for saying there was no evidence to back his allegations and for being overly generous to Leffen overall, and argues that the very logic used to justify his ban could be used to justify banning Leffen for his interactions with Hungrybox alone. | |||
On September 24th 2021, Hax released a video<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pH5yvEPujE Apology video]</ref> where he apologised for his conduct throughout his conflict with Leffen, claiming it to come from an argument over the revision of the Metagame Documentary that he took too far. This also came with an apology tweet on [[Twitter]].<ref>[https://twitter.com/ssbmhax/status/1441537392226316304 Apology tweet]</ref> | On September 24th 2021, Hax released a video<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pH5yvEPujE Apology video]</ref> where he apologised for his conduct throughout his conflict with Leffen, claiming it to come from an argument over the revision of the Metagame Documentary that he took too far. This also came with an apology tweet on [[Twitter]].<ref>[https://twitter.com/ssbmhax/status/1441537392226316304 Apology tweet]</ref> | ||
On July 25th 2022, Hax issued a public apology to Leffen, Jisu, and others affected by his conduct resulting from evidence.zip 2. | On July 25th 2022, Hax issued a public apology to Leffen, Jisu, and others affected by his conduct resulting from evidence.zip 2.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CALXaO1ETCo Apology to Leffen]</ref> In the video, he revealed that he was suffering from alcoholism as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a bout of psychosis. He also apologised for his comments on the #MeToo movement, citing his black and white thinking as a contributing factor. He revealed that since these events, he had been sober for 9 months and has been working on his personal issues. | ||
On | On 28th October 2023, Hax$ released a ban appeal and apology video on his YouTube channel,<ref>[https://youtu.be/4TGnw3W2FcM Oct '23 Ban Appeal]</ref> apologising to Leffen, tournament organisers, and more. He also discussed the progress he made in the 2 years since his ban. | ||
Hax$ would release another ban appeal on 21st January 2024,<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR9A70YKxf4&ab_channel=Hax%24Archive Jan 2024 Unban Plea]</ref> wherein he also leaked the testimonies from the original 2013 [[Evidence.zip]]. The ban appeal was later unlisted and archived on a separate channel. A week later, Hax$ would release a video titled "The Truth",<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn_J19CgFzo&t=476s&ab_channel=AzizAl-Yami "The Truth"]</ref> which continued to link the leaked Evidence.zip testimonies. This resulted in Hax being re-banned from the NYC Melee Community, as a result of a clause in the ban contract that prevented public statements. | |||
On 7th March 2024, Hax$ released another apology video<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_--ksDQd2c Apology to Leffen, My Friends, and the Melee Community]</ref> where he sincerely apologises to Leffen and deemed his past behaviour "self-destructive" and discusses his previous relapses and decision-making, believing that none of what he did was honourable and was arguably an orchestrated harassment campaign. {{Sm|Mew2King}} notably comments requesting an unban of Hax$ on the basis of his own harassers not being banned at all, and in June 2024, went on to make a video on the matter.<ref>[https://youtu.be/_httcMT7Ri0 Mew2King video]</ref> Additionally, outside commentary from YouTubers such as SimpleFlips was produced that same month.<ref>[https://youtu.be/fM_iZ8ViI-4 SimpleFlips Commentary]</ref> | |||
On | On 30th May 2024, {{Sm|DarkGenex}} released a statement regarding Hax's ban, detailing, among other things, a bipolar disorder diagnosis, hospitalisation, and suicide attempts, coming from his failed ban appeals. Additionally, DarkGenex recounted private handlings of Hax's ban, where Hax is shown to have harassed multiple TOs, including going to a post-venue bar to try and appeal his ban.<ref>[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jHUTly72RUao3APv2AN550Lk2UrGwKaeLUaCBerzRGA/edit?usp=drivesdk DarkGenex Document]</ref> | ||
On 30th July, 2024, Hax$ released a ban appeal video, specifically regarding his re-ban in January 2024.<ref>[https://youtu.be/0S6LeugSbro?si=SVjwm9UNbgzbNAYz Melee Community Permanent Ban Appeal]</ref> He brought up an issue with getting private responses from TOs regarding how long his indefinite ban would be, due to ambiguity between the 2 year ban and indefinite clause. Due to an inability to get responses, he argued that his public ban appeals were justified, and that a 6 month ban would have been more justified, or at least due process. Given these factors, Hax deems the ban as "cruel" and that, in spite of his own faults, there were mistakes on both sides. Following criticisms from {{Sm|Radar}}, he released a follow-up video clarifying points raised.<ref>[https://youtu.be/cxxbU2r9WsY?si=AGcA3pgJDcnlBJay Ban Appeal Part 2]</ref> | |||
==Trivia== | ==Trivia== | ||
[[File:HaxFalconB0XX.png|thumb|250px|{{Sm|Hax$}} holding the joke B0XX design.]] | [[File:HaxFalconB0XX.png|thumb|250px|{{Sm|Hax$}} holding the joke B0XX design.]] | ||
*Hax popularized the "20XX" meme in the ''Melee'' community. 20XX is an allusion to the introduction of ''{{iw|wikipedia|Mega Man|1987 video game}}'', that announced that "The year is 20XX". 20XX describes a futuristic, potentially post-apocalyptic setting, where the [[metagame]] and [[technical skill]] of players have reached a point where they can no longer continue to improve. Accordingly, only {{SSBM|Fox}} is viable, and as players can perfectly capitalise on every situation, matches are determined by a rock-paper-scissors match for [[port priority]]. The joke is often referenced in Fox [[mirror match]]es and particularly impressive displays of tech skill by players. An example of this occurred at [[Apex 2014]], when during ''Melee'' doubles there was [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NE7NRAQDxRc&t=256s a match] during grand finals where all four players were playing Fox. The commentator, {{Sm|Prog}}, said "Are you aware of the year..." before his partner, {{Sm|D1}}, interrupts with "20XX. Here we go!". {{Sm|Toph}} had previously elaborated on the joke at [[The Big House 3]]:< | *Hax popularized the "20XX" meme in the ''[[Melee]]'' community. 20XX is an allusion to the introduction of ''{{iw|wikipedia|Mega Man|1987 video game}}'', that announced that "The year is 20XX". 20XX describes a futuristic, potentially post-apocalyptic setting, where the [[metagame]] and [[technical skill]] of players have reached a point where they can no longer continue to improve. Accordingly, only {{SSBM|Fox}} is viable, and as players can perfectly capitalise on every situation, matches are determined by a rock-paper-scissors match for [[port priority]]. The joke is often referenced in Fox [[mirror match]]es and particularly impressive displays of tech skill by players. An example of this occurred at [[Apex 2014]], when during ''Melee'' doubles there was [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NE7NRAQDxRc&t=256s a match] during grand finals where all four players were playing Fox. The commentator, {{Sm|Prog}}, said "Are you aware of the year..." before his partner, {{Sm|D1}}, interrupts with "20XX. Here we go!". {{Sm|Toph}} had previously elaborated on the joke at [[The Big House 3]]:<br>''<blockquote>Hax's thing is like, "The year is 20XX. Everyone plays Fox." And there's this whole post-apocalyptic universe that is built off of Fox being the only viable character left. Humanity has reached its pinnacle. The peasants are living in poverty. And there are these monasteries where these Fox monks just levitate and [[TAS]] Fox with one controller in one hand, and win a tournament with the other. And the tournament metagame has gotten to this point where everything is played out to theoretical perfection, so they Rock-Paper-Scissors for port priority, and that's the set. And everyone gets really excited about the port priority RPS, so RPS's metagame has really evolved to where it's really just like RPS tournaments are now. And then we have warriors like [[Smasher:PewPewU|Kevin Toy]] and {{Sm|Europhoria}} desperately trying to prevent the apocalypse, the Fox Apocalypse, from happening with their Marths.''</blockquote> | ||
**When interviewed at [[Super Nebulous 4]], Hax mentioned that both the ''20XX'' meme and his usage of Fox were partially attributable to {{Sm|Mango}} and {{Sm|PPMD}}. | **When interviewed at [[Super Nebulous 4]], Hax mentioned that both the ''20XX'' meme and his usage of Fox were partially attributable to {{Sm|Mango}} and {{Sm|PPMD}}. | ||
**Similar to the 20XX meme, Hax also coined the term 666XX, about {{Sm|Hungrybox}}'s American dominance in early 2016 with {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}}. | **Similar to the 20XX meme, Hax also coined the term 666XX, about {{Sm|Hungrybox}}'s American dominance in early 2016 with {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}}. | ||
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*In addition to ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'', Hax has played a variety of games competitively: | *In addition to ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'', Hax has played a variety of games competitively: | ||
**Hax placed 2nd in the 12 and under Nationals for the [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBkWb2JYL4Y 2006 Pokemon Journey Across America Tournament.] | **Hax placed 2nd in the 12 and under Nationals for the [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBkWb2JYL4Y 2006 Pokemon Journey Across America Tournament.] | ||
**Hax used to attend tournaments for the Pokémon Trading Card Game. He notably made it to the quarterfinals of the | **Hax used to attend tournaments for the Pokémon Trading Card Game. He notably made it to the quarterfinals of the [[bulbapedia:2008 World Championships (TCG)|2008 World Championships]] Senior Division, after finishing the Swiss rounds in 1st place. | ||
**In the game ''{{iw|wikipedia|League of Legends}}'', [http://na.op.gg/summoner/userName=ssbm+hax Hax] was one of the best Twisted Fate players in North America, attaining the Challenger rank (the highest in the game) two seasons in a row. | **In the game ''{{iw|wikipedia|League of Legends}}'', [http://na.op.gg/summoner/userName=ssbm+hax Hax] was one of the best Twisted Fate players in North America, attaining the Challenger rank (the highest in the game) two seasons in a row. | ||
*Hax was the first player to reach 3000 elo on the [https://slippi.gg/leaderboards Slippi Leaderboards], achieving an elo of 3000.7 on [https://old.reddit.com/r/SSBM/comments/11hpr0m/hax_is_the_first_to_break_3000_elo_on_slippi/ March 3rd, 2023]. | *Hax was the first player to reach 3000 elo on the [https://slippi.gg/leaderboards Slippi Leaderboards], achieving an elo of 3000.7 on [https://old.reddit.com/r/SSBM/comments/11hpr0m/hax_is_the_first_to_break_3000_elo_on_slippi/ March 3rd, 2023]. | ||
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==External links== | ==External links== | ||
*[https://twitter.com/ssbmhax Twitter account] | *[https://twitter.com/ssbmhax Twitter account] | ||
*[http://www.smashboards.com/member.php?u=62396 SmashBoards public profile] | *[http://www.smashboards.com/member.php?u=62396 SmashBoards public profile] | ||
[[Category:New York smashers]] | [[Category:New York smashers]] |