Smash Bros. Sexual Exploitation/Grooming Scandal

[Atheris]

A massive child exploitation/grooming scandal has been uncovered in the Smash Bros. scene, according to r/smashbros.

Honestly, I want to say I'm surprised, but I'm really not. When you get large communities like these with adolescent fans, stuff like this is sadly bound to happen.

Names involved include Keitaro, D1, Noel Brown, Static Manny, DC, La Luna, ANTi, PBnJ, Brooklyn, Cinnpie, AceattorneySSB, and Nairo.

It's been confirmed that Nintendo is watching, too. They've recently privated a player perspective video with Nairo.

This is honestly one of the biggest scandals in Nintedo's and possibly gaming's history and will definitely be a massive deal across the entire industry.

What say you, NSG?

[Saiwania]

From what I can tell, Nintendo isn't at fault for what people do on their platform or multiplayer services. If some adults notice that they're playing against underage people and decide to groom/inappropriately get involved with them via chat to do illegal things, that is on them. If they're caught, let their local law enforcement come get them if it gets to their attention.

On the other end, responsible parents have the means these days to look after what their children are doing and to keep them safe more or less within reason. If you don't take advantage of parental controls or basic due diligence, you have no one else to blame. I'm sure there is a way it can be done without helicoptering too much.

[Atheris]

From what I can tell, Nintendo isn't at fault for what people do on their platform or multiplayer services. If some adults notice that they're playing against underage people and decide to groom/inappropriately get involved with them via chat to do illegal things, that is on them. If they're caught, let their local law enforcement come get them if it gets to their attention.

On the other end, responsible parents have the means these days to look after what their children are doing and to keep them safe more or less within reason. If you don't take advantage of parental controls or basic due diligence, you have no one else to blame. I'm sure there is a way it can be done without helicoptering too much.

It didn't happen on the Smash servers. It happened at fan meetups and over the internet, both things which Nintendo has no control over.

[Kyundao]

I found out from a YouTuber named Scarce (whether you love him or hate him, I don't care). This scandal is supremely disturbing. Like, you're-going-to-hell kind of disturbing and that's just the nice way of putting it.

[Atheris]

I found out from a YouTuber named Scarce (whether you love him or hate him, I don't care). This scandal is supremely disturbing. Like, you're-going-to-hell kind of disturbing and that's just the nice way of putting it.

It truly is. I have a friend who's really into the Smash community and he's devastated by it.

[Minoa]

Nintendo should take cue from Disney’s Club Penguin moderation playbook. There was recently a scandal with unofficial successors to Club Penguin. The BBC found out that one of the unofficial servers became a haven for cybersex and racism. The real Club Penguin had human moderators and automatic filters to keep out inappropriate content like cybersex and other illegal content.

[Ammocave]

I suppose that this trend will only intensify, and when this generation grows up, such behavior will be the norm

[Outer Sparta]

Well I never paid attention to any competitive Smash players, but I shouldn't really be surprised at this.