Why I Stopped Melee 

Social media is trash. Leaving it and getting back to that 2003 local vibe is way better.

Dont feel bad about, you left a lasting legacy!

You're a legend, and always will be. I wish you nothing but the best in life

Uncut and straight to the point with no filler. You a real one Mking

My main man, you don’t need to ever feel bad! You have inspired many and you have inspired me as a Marth main. Thank you for everything but I understand the bs of Melee, you do you M2K

M2K is absolutely correct. The negativity on the internet is getting insane. I'm sure the algorithm has a huge part in this, that engagement is just stronger when people are fighting and negative to each other, but it is absolutely a part of the culture now. It was not like this in the late 2000s and early 2010s. People just want to tear down others. People desperately look for a reason to hate some popular person or thing.

The best thing for you to do, is what makes you happy.

You made Smash History and nobody can take that away from you. Love Hbox, love Mang0, love Armada, but nobody did it like you. You're the Smash GOAT. To witness your story, it was a privilege.

ive always seen you in a positive light, and think you are an amazing smash player. i remember you coming to our local tourney way back when and everyone was so thrilled to have you there. I remember the community being very helpful and everyone wanting everyone to get better etc. i think the chronically online type vibe makes people forget people are people not invincible statues with no feeling. much love M2K - every time i play mewtwo i think of you and some of the crazy stuff you can pull off. youve been inspiration to me for sure. thank you for it all, and if you do come back to play i hope everyone relaxes a bit and become a little more compassionate with eachother.

All love Jason, we’re just happy to see you’re doing well and are finding outlets that make you happy ❤

You're an iconic player and whether or not you return, that never changes. Negativity has always been popular and loud, so I definitely understand where you're coming from. I myself have had times where I wish the community would just have fun with the game and have better sportsmanship. I know if I ever play Melee again myself, I'll go right back to playing my Marth that was shaped by hours of watching you compete. Whatever you do, I hope you never forget the impact you've had on players all over the world. Good luck with everything!

There's nothing more important than your health. Be where you feel you should be, man. I promise that doing what's best for you isn't making anyone feel let down.

You gave the community so much dude all the best to you in whatever you pursue

👌 Good on you, man. Being able to try new stuff frequently has to be one of the best skills someone can acquire as they grow. Of all the "smash gods", I honestly think you're the most real and trustworthy. Not throwing shade to the other guys or whatever, but you're just relentlessly straight up. It's seriously admirable. Keep it up, brotha.

Jason you are an amazingly kind, genuine, and positive person and we all love you dude! Thanks you so much for sharing your thoughts, super happy to hear that things are going well and you should absolutely do what makes you the happiest, it makes us happy to see you happy too! Whether that includes melee or not :) your incredible legacy will always be remembered, and stoked to see what you do next!!

Dude, nothing but love for you my friend. Thank you for everything you have contributed. Love that you are pursuing new things! I think that's the beauty of life.

We love you Jason. You’ve been an amazing person in the community for so long and we have nothing but love and respect for you. Be well brother.

love you jason, and huge respect for sharing what's on your mind

Im glad you took my advice and not pursue a career in QA testing. Your stronger then you think!

Love that you are doing what's best for you M2K! Hope you find joy.

nah, m2k. You are right. The state of the community is bad.

I haven’t played the game in years, and part of it is because I no longer wanted to associate with the community, so I feel you. It’s nice that you can do what makes you happy, your legacy will always remain regardless.

I have played smash since the game came out in the late 90’s and I started playing more competitively because of you. I also began maining marth originally because of you and he’s been my main in all of them (yes even in ultimate) ever since. Take as much time as you need man. You’re a freakin LEGEND

M2K you were a big reason I got into melee, loved watching your stuff way back in the day and getting into melee gave me and all my friends countless fond memories. I've always said, especially with esports, that I would rather see big names and competitors finish strong and move on to other things than burn themselves into the ground trying to keep up the grind. Others may say differently, but in my mind you left a great legacy and deciding to move on and preserve that legacy while trying to build new legacies in other endeavors is a really bold and mature move. Keep it up homie.

M2K will always be part of my Melee nostalgia, and nothing will change that. Thank you, M2K, and do your thing; it'll work out.

Much love bro.

You've been a huge inspiration, M2K. Thank you for everything you've done for us.

you are a legendary player. My favorite to watch play, because of your unique story, personality and playstyle. You really inspired me, so thank you! You are the smash goat and im really sorry it doesn't bring you happiness anymore. Hopefully one day it can. Especially if you just turn off most social media or something like that.

Tons of love king, do whatever you want and be around the people that want you. I support it always

You are one of my favorite players and contributed in getting me to start playing and streaming! Thanks for your legacy and all the awesome, inspiring moments you gave me over the years. Hope you achieve all you want to in this next stage of life! ❤

Zimmerman from Cinnaminson! The King of the Mews!!! Getting to play you as a lowly noob at Pound 5, which was my first major, and the occasional fests years later are some of my favorite Melee experiences. I'm glad to hear you're doing well even if that means distancing from Melee.

Totally get you. Stepping out of negative environments from your life is one of the best choices anyone can (and probably should) make. Glad to hear it worked out well for you.

You do you bro! Best of luck for the future!!!

I feel ya M2K, I still play Smash with my buddies and I still watch tournaments every now and then, but I left the scene around 2019 because it felt pretty toxic for several reasons. Of course, what happened the next year sort of proved me right in that regard, unfortunately :( I only really got into competitive Smash in 2015 with PM, and through it I forged some really good relationships so I'm happy for the time I spent TOing, playing, and streaming. You'll always be one of my favorite players of all time man, and I hope you're doing well and just livin' your life to the fullest!

Nobody can do something forever especially when they're dealing with bums being jerks. You were a gift to this community and always will be. Enjoy the life you've built for yourself and never feel guilty about choosing your own sanity.

We love you, whatever makes you happy makes us happy, happy days king ❤

This struck a chord with me. I quit late last year for my own safety and mental health (to avoid potential altercations with a very abusive player in my local scene). I got the itch to play a little bit again, but trying to get back into things I was astounded by how unhinged and toxic things were in the Melee scene compared to how genuine and supportive other scenes out there are. Melee's scene just isn't as supportive and grassroots as it used to be. People used to make really awesome projects and things together like everyone was working towards a common goal of making Melee into an eSport and showing how awesome the game was. Now it feels like people are stepping on each other and pushing others down just to get further/ahead in the game and community. It's really hard to stay motivated when people are constantly shitting on each other. I'm glad things are on the upswing, Jason. Keep following what makes you happy and don't let anything hold you back man. (Also you probably don't remember me but we met at LTC2, sorry for waking you up when you were sleeping under the table, you had a match lol)

I really hope whatever comes next for you is greater than you could imagine! Blessings on the journey!

Feel like it might just be a greater internet problem honestly. I only ever watched comp Melee, but I remember early Smash 4 was not nearly as negative as current day Ultimate. Either way, good on you for looking out for your mental health first.

I'm one of the people that's definitely missed you a ton too. I'm not even a Smasher, but I'm also a FL FGC gamer, and going to events like CEOs and TNSs and seeing you there doing your thing was always a highlight for me. Even though I am like many others that would love to see you get back to competing, I still feel that first and foremost your health and happiness matters most. Keep taking care of yourself and choosing the things that bring you the most joy. And we'll we delighted for you to return when you feel the time is right and that you can fully enjoy it!

He could’ve titled this video “Why I stopped _playing_ Melee,” but he chose to name it “Why I _stopped_ Melee,” which implies that Melee was an oncoming, malevolent force that he single-handedly halted in its tracks. Thank you for protecting our families from Melee, sir!

You are right Jason. It does feel like something about the smash community has changed over the past 5 years or so. Much less homie like and way more toxic. I am glad you are exploring what life has to offer you.

What Jason says coincides with the fact that the smash community ruined itself and its competitive scene in the past 2-3 years lol

I support you for protecting your well being and looking after yourself, M2K! I'm happy that things are looking up for you in your life, and wish you thr best wherever things take you!

Thank you for making this video. I hope you get showered with positivity and encouragement! Happy to see you trying new things and being successful. Cheers.

You’re always one of the best inspirations and I totally get that feeling about toxicity. Live your best life! You’re still one of the all time greats and one of the peoples champ!

I'm not going to say specifics, but the demographic of the average smash enjoyer shifted from "regular people" to...."other people." Again, won't be specific because youtube likes to delete my comments when I say these things. But if you've been playing smash, like me, for over 20+ years, you probably know exactly what I'm talking about.

I don't think I've ever seen anyone sit on a gaming chair while outside.

Hey Jason you may not remember me but I was close to Gregg when you guys lived out here in AZ. I lost touch with him but when we used to chat I would ALWAYS ask how you were doing and just made sure you and everyone else on the team was doing well. I'm glad you made this video letting us know how you feel, I applaud you on your new endeavors and I cant wait for you to finish your book when the time is right! Much love to the King

M2K you speaking this truth is so admirable and is very needed. Thank you!

Don't feel bad Jason! I've noticed alot more negativity in the greater smash community just social media and the anonymity of online smash in general have created this negative vacuum imo that wasn't there when it was all in person events people are alot kinder and understanding when your sitting right next to them ( most of the time lol) but you've built a legacy and have tasted pretty much everything smash had to offer and all of the positive sides too so I definitely wouldn't feel bad about your decisions best luck in all your future endeavors many of us are rooting for you and can't wait to see what that future holds for you!

Good for you M2K!!! We love and support you brah. Keep positive homie!

I haven’t really watched a bunch of ur content mew, but I’m incredibly happy for you that ur able to put ur foot down and say when enough is enough. Some people may say it was a weak move, but that’s tough as fuck and takes a lot of courage to be a huge part of a toxic community and extract yourself from it. And I’m sure you can play smash within the comfort of ur house and personal friends, not to impress a bunch of nobodies. I hope the streaming goes well 👍🏼

Jason, you are the REASON I got in to Melee competitively. I would go to our local venue Digital Mayhem in Wallingford CT to play every week. I remember when the fabled Mew2King showed up for a local. PC Chris, Cort and many other NE and Tristate powerhouses showed up. It was the local of a life time. You guys continued to come and here I am 18 years later having the staple game series of my life all thanks to a smashboards post of yours talking about frame data analysis. Screw the negativity, you rock man., I hope whatever life brings your way it's only good. Much love.

You will forever be a legend Mew2King. You Marth will never be dethroned. You rock

Great to hear you're doing better! Even as a big fan of your Melee playing (especially Marth), I'm glad you're prioritizing your health, and as much as I'd love to see you play again, I wouldn't want you to play if it just feeds you negativity. I'm only disappointed I missed your Street Fighter 6 arc, gonna have to look back for that.

Do what's best for you man! been a huge fan of yours since like 2009, met you back in 2012 or something like that at SKTAR in new jersey and you were really cool and even gave me some tips on how to make my marth better. You have been a god of smash for so long that you owe no one anything

Whether you're in the scene or not, you'll always be one of my heroes and inspirations. Do you my dood!

Good luck out there with whatever you're striving towards man. We'll never forget the Mew2King :)

Live what you love and what makes you happy. Legend. U don't owe it to anyone to play or do what you don't want to

God bless you and enjoy whatever you choose to spend time on. You’re not the only one noticing this.

I literally got into competitive smash bros because of you dude. You're an idol to me dude, you taught me that games had so much more depth than what they have on the surface, and that they are so much better enjoyed together as well. All I can hope is that as a member of the smash community myself, we can all acknowledge the problems that have been ignored and make it so that you feel like you can come back. To you, from me, personally, I'm sorry, and thank you for all the work you put into this game and community.

Mew2king speaking at some a casual pace and demeanor mixed with the ambience of outside neighborhood noises mixed with that homey view of the grass and homes behind him up to the skyline really made me feel something fr

Smash social media is fueled by negativity, but the tightly-nit environments of 20 man locals are still as fresh as ever. I don't blame you for dipping out of the national scene, but for your sake, it might be good to rediscover the joy of smash on a small scale, preferably without huge stream viewership weighing down the experience :>

Melee community is trash. I’m glad you’re playing other games-better games. Especially Street Fighter.

Jason you are still my fav Melee player of all time and of course I want to see you come back. But what I want to see way more is you being happy! I am super proud of you surrounding yourself with the right people and getting yourself away from negativity. Keep going man, you are on the right track, mental health is something very important.

This was very strong and bold to say out loud like this. I respect this a lot.

Bro you’re a legend and you made my childhood better man. Fuck those negative comments my guy. Hope you find happiness in whatever you do

Your Highness, no worries. Best wishes from Germany. Your Marth and Sheik gameplay have been an inspiration for me. That was more than 10 years ago, now I am father and uncle and I am still able to impress my nephews with my edgeguard skills in SSBU, all because you kinda had tought me the concept of gimping. Thanks, bless you!

You’re more than a Smash Melee legend, there’s many more adventures to be had and legends to make! What a wonderful time to discover them!

Your marth/sheik sets with spacies will always get me hyped and smiling whenever I'm feeling down, I literally binged your sets earlier this year. I assume you've been dealing with this ever since the 2010s era and we never seen that insane motivated2k from 2007-08 ever again. Return or not, we love you all the same yayson and I wish you all the best this year

You do you brotha. Just make sure you kick life in the f**king face no matter where you are. We love you bro!

I have never seen your stuff, but You are a beautiful person, and deserve to be happy. If you feel a direction is better for you, then you need to do that, and care for yourself and your mental health. As a person who hasnt seen your content, i think its healthy to try to find environments and groups that bring you happiness and positivity. Even if you never read my comment, i hope you have a wonderful day, and i hope you are happy and enjoy the things you do. It may feel extremely trying at times but there is a light inside all of us and you need to do what you have to do to ensure that light shines. More power to you, my gamer friend.

The wokeness of the smash communities really killed it for me.

The king. I appreciate you’re genuinely here. I know I’d love to see your marth or even sheik/fox return. Keep it pushing

Thanks for being honest, hopefully hearing this helps the community grow in a better direction!

I’m not an active viewer but it seems like you’re on the right path to me! Good luck and stay well!

So sad that you have to goo through so much negativity, I wish you nothing but love M2K! Hope to see you doing more of what makes you happy

you're pretty much the main reason/person that really made me take the step to get back into smash bros 9 years ago and oh man has it been awesome in so many cool ways! nomatter what you do i'm sure you will continue to inspire and create ripples of positivity wherever you go!

You’ll always be a Smash God, and you’ll definitely excel at whatever you’re gonna be tryin’ out next. ❤

It's definitely a generational thing I feel... I also don't remember people being nearly as negative or cynical back when the internet was younger and people didn't live on it 24/7. Depression is at an all time high, and everywhere you go people just seem to always be wanting to make you feel as miserable as them. It's definitely a good thing to distance yourself away from that as much as possible and find outlets that make you happy, otherwise you just sink further and further into that hole, especially when you're also surrounded by other people with the same negative mentality.

Glad to hear you're being yourself m2k. Keep on kickin ass bro. You still da king

Enjoyed getting to meet you in person Jason! We love you!

Glad you're open about the situation, hope you're going to feel better in a bit too ❤

I truly understand your sentiment and struggle. A lot of other gaming communities tend to bring out the worst out of some people. The initial atmosphere starts off strong but with time, certain folks turn their long-term investment by becoming righteous sour muppets. The hardest thing is to mentally ignore it when you know deep down that the kind of toxicity is not necessary and that it can be better. And now with the internet, it's easier to see those things, and a lot of it. For me, "ignorance is bliss" is really starting to become more used when I think of any social platforms. It's good you are finding the right people to be around that can make you divert your attention to more positive things. Stay strong you absolute unit, you are a good man.

just glad to see you're starting to do better! your impact on the history of smash can't be overstated and the most important thing is to make sure you can still do you! you're someone that's inspired me throughout the years and i want to keep being inspired by whatever you decide to do next!

Don't apologize, M2K. Regardless of how long you have been part of a community, negativity will always drive people away. Good on you for thinking of yourself and your mental health.

I've been playing this game a long time, and know full well how negative the community can be. You're a good dude M2K, genuinely hope for the best. Thanks for always helping out when I ask questions on stream. Whatever you end up doing I hope you're happy!

this is pretty much the reason why I never tried to get into Melee

Honestly, fair. Thanks for your honesty. I quit Smash myself b/c of the community, but regardless with what you do going forward, we wish the best for you.

Good to hear from you. If you're not okay with the negativity or it's getting to you, it really is the best thing to step away from it. You will always be one of the GOATs of gaming, thanks for all the years of competition and entertainment!

Hey man you have been a competitive veteran for over 20 years. I'm impressed you played so consistently for so long. All things come to an end and whether this is permanent or a well needed break it was a fun ride I hope.

You've always been an awesome influence in the community man, was the guys like you that made me pick up Smash in the first place. You're the reason I decided to main Marth. You're leaving a great legacy, Godspeed in the future man!

You have nothing left to prove sir. You topped the mountain of Melee many MANY times over, and you deserve to venture into other territories. Best of luck to you.

Still look up to you G. Whether you play the game I started off as a fan of or not. Your happiness is important to me and many others. Keep up the freedom era, stay up, and much love bro

i feel you dude, I left the community years back cus of all the toxicity in it. i still play w the boys for fun but thats pretty much it. on to better things brother!

Always do what makes you happy.

m2k, more power to you, fan of your melee content...you dont owe the fans anything, just go on a live the life you want, rooting for success in whatever G

As long as you're happy that's all that matters. Of course many of us will miss seeing you competing in Smash, but your pursuit of enjoyment is more important than preserving the status quo. Wish you the best with all endeavors moving forward, as always. Long live the king.

I'm proud of you M2K and as someone who has always loved watching your smash game play in Melee, Brawl, and Ultimate & even more happy that you are putting yourself and your happiness 1st! Keep up the good work!