Super Smash Bros. is one of the most popular fighting game series, and the latest installment also has an eSports scene. One of the best players in the world was actually at his peak, but because he used a mod, he was penalized.
Which player is it? Hurt is a Japanese professional player in Smash Bros. Ultimate. He is a Solid Snake main and has been doing quite well. Although he was eliminated quickly in the tournament Battle of BC 7
, he finished in 1st place in the 3 tournaments before that (via liquipedia.net).
However, his run has now been curtailed as he has not played in any competitive tournaments for 2 months. Hurt made this decision as a penalty after being caught using a mod that actually just improves Nintendo’s online mode.
Smash pro and organization apologize
What kind of mod was it? On March 6, Hurt was reportedly streaming Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but in the character selection screen, the text above said: Input Latency
as tru4smash explained on TikTok. That text only appears when using a delay mod
. This mod is supposed to improve the input delay of the online mode.
In the regular online mode, there is automatically a high input delay, which is why Nintendo’s online connectivity has been heavily criticized. An input delay means it takes longer for an action to be executed when a button is pressed. This creates a frustrating online experience but also offers worse training opportunities for tournaments that are mostly offline, meaning practically without noticeable input delay.
As true4smash explains, many top players apparently use such a mod. After Hurt’s use became public, his eSports organization, Enter Force.36, also commented on the incident on March 29, 2025 (via x.com). They apologized for the player’s behavior and the violation of Nintendo’s terms of service.
According to esportsinsider.com, Hurt also apologized for his behavior. He refrained from participating in Smash tournaments in April and May. These included important tournaments like the LVL UP Expo 2025 or KOWLOON #16.
Additionally, he has reportedly been banned from participating in online matches and from Smashmate, a Japanese website where players can organize matches and climb in rankings.
The community shows division
How is the community reacting? Under the x post from Enter Force.36, various comments defending Hurt are gathering, but there are also opposing voices:
- @Shima__HD (via x.com) complains because he allegedly only wanted to improve:
You ban him because he uses a mod that enhances his gaming experience by eliminating delay so he can play properly? He is going to miss the biggest Smash tournament because of this?
- @mucho-rinn (via x.com) sees it very differently:
Abroad it seems one can do whatever one wants, but in Japan, it is so strict and harsh… Thank you for your hard work…
- @kankanPOPOPO (via x.com) views the whole situation soberly and states:
Nintendo has a rule that states: “You are not allowed to modify the Switch.” Since he violated this rule, it is only natural that he is punished accordingly.
In this case, Nintendo did not intervene, but Hurt should also know the general rule regarding mods. One can criticize Nintendo’s poor online mode, but if you are part of an eSports organization, you must also follow the rules. Even if Japan seems to be much stricter in this regard than other regions. A fighting game on Steam has a completely different problem: A fighting game on Steam loses over 40,000 players after 16 months and wants to fundamentally change something
