Canada Smash local tournament bans Z and others over support of Ally
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Ally faces Marss at his last Smash tournament before his global ban.

Canada Smash local tournament bans Z and others over support of Ally

Z will host a regional featuring Ally later this month

Ontario-based esports organization Smashurai Esports has indefinitely banned Montreal tournament organizer Nizar “Z” Awada from their events. The ban came after Z announced Battle of Z: Toronto Strikes Back, a Montreal Smash and Guilty Gear regional that will feature the previously-banned Elliot “Ally” Carroza-Oyarce.

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https://twitter.com/SMRAI_Esports/status/1411722855314821128

The Super Smash Bros. Ultimate community removed Ally in 2019 after he faced accusations of engaging in a romantic relationship with Zack “CaptainZack” Lauth, who was a minor at the time and is more than 10 years his junior. The now-defunct SSB Code of Conduct Panel recommended and later upheld a lifetime ban for Ally. In addition, he appears on Cyrus “Cagt” Gharakhanian’s Super Smash Bros. Global Ban Database.

However, Z allowed Ally to begin attending Montreal Smash locals again in February of 2020. In a tweet from March of this year, Z suggested there was more to Ally’s situation that he had yet to share publicly. On July 4, Z claimed Ally would release a statement before the end of the month. He said Ally could not attend Battle of Z: Toronto Strikes Back if he failed to release the statement.

“[Ally] was suicidal,” Z tweeted in March. “On our side as a community we stayed open ears, we sent him to therapy, banned him until approval from the therapist that he is no threat and was abused. Hope he makes all his story public and stops being afraid, if he does I hope you listen.”

Others suspended from Ontario Smash series over Ally

Multiple players from Toronto will travel to Montreal for Battle of Z: Toronto Strikes Back. These include Michael “Riddles” Kim, Aaron “Blacktwins13” Grandison-Vargas, Jonathan “JW” Woldu, Aaron “Orange” G., “Grape” and “Heavens.” Smashurai Esports also announced a temporary suspension for these players.

“Attending [Z’s] event shows you learned nothing over the past year,” Smashurai Esports tweeted. “You will not change. We will change however.”

https://twitter.com/SMRAI_Esports/status/1411722860981374981

Z has faced scrutiny before for allowing Ally back at Montreal locals after the events of last summer. Last year, the Smash community ostracized multiple prominent members due to allegations of sexual misconduct. However, Smashurai Esports took the extra step to ban Z due to his intentions of allowing Ally at a regional-level Smash event and of hosting such an event during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Z called Smashurai Esports’ suspensions of the Toronto players “dictatorship 101.” Michael “KnucklesUp” Vassos announced that those players would be welcome at his own tournaments.

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Dylan Tate
Dylan Tate is an alumnus of the Hussman School of Journalism and Media at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a gaming journalist with a love for Nintendo esports, particularly Super Smash Bros. and Pokémon.