Super Smash Bros. Melee legend William "Leffen" Hjelte had a rough road to Summit 12. The Smash veteran was uncertain he would even be able to compete due to visa issues but surprised the community when he announced he would be attending Summit 12 after all.
While Leffen was most definitely pumped to leave Europe and compete with other regions, the jovial attitude was short-lived. Leffen ended up in fifth place at the coveted event, much lower than the community (including his haters) anticipated. But Leffen has complained about having nobody challenging to practice against in his region for some time now, which could have played a part.
Mid-tournament, Leffen tweeted that he just wasn't ready to compete and that had shown through in previous matches. For Leffen, it appeared that his mental state was what held him back the most.
"Don't think I can mentally deal with this in my current state, a lot of personal issues that flare up during stress. Wish I just came to play casuals. Playing Tyler Swift next in losers, a matchup I literally couldn't prepare for the last two years. Got no faith but I'll try," Leffen tweeted.
Leffen then added that it had been a bad idea to come and compete when he felt this way. Just a few weeks ago, Leffen had noted that he was not happy with Melee or the European scene, which seems to be a feeling that was amplified once he got to Summit 12 and saw how rusty he had become without any top players to practice with.
Following Smash Summit, Leffen shot out a series of concerning tweets, some of which have already been deleted. Some of the tweets included Leffen stating that he "hated himself" and "hated competing this week." He tweeted he also hated Melee itself because of living in "bumfuck EU."
"So fucking frustrating to keep throwing sets I have in the bag," Leffen said, noting that he played like shit. "No win could ever make up for this f--king hellsh-t."
Leffen ultimately deleted most of these tweets, calling them "emo." He replaced them with more thoughtful tweets that explained his emotions a bit more maturely. Leffen said that he felt he'd have to move to America to actually have a chance at competing for the top spot again but it wasn't currently an option due to his family.
"So instead, it's either quit or half-ass and constantly disappoint," Leffen concluded.
Leffen seemed to conclude at that time that he should quit competitive Melee, at least temporarily, since he didn't want to keep being frustrated at his performance. But he knew he couldn't leave Melee completely.
The Super Smash Bros. Melee community didn't feel a lot of sympathy for Leffen after the Twitter rant. Some said they would have more empathy for the pro if he wasn't such a bad person, noting that he often "belittles" and "abuses" other players. Some said they would feel bad if Lefffen wasn't so toxic.
While most Smash players seemed to be basking in Leffen's misery, some stood up for the veteran player by noting how "shitty" his year had been. This included the visa issues as well as drama with Hax$ and Zer0. One fan noted that Leffen was still a "real person" with "real issues," stating that he's allowed to "feel like sh-t" without getting canceled or bullied.
In response, one Melee fan said: "He's not gonna shinespike you, bro."
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