Super Smash Bros. Player Mew2King Banned From Tournament After Bug Bites Cause Health Concerns
The professional Super Smash Bros. player. Jason ‘Mew2King’ Zimmerman has been banned from a competitive tournament after posting photos of his concerning skin condition and complaining about a bug infestation in his home.
On the morning of October 16, 2026, Zimmerman went viral thanks to a thread he posted on Twitter/X the day before. In his messages, he complained of swelling in his hands, which he attributed either to playing too much without rest or to insect bites at home.
“My hands are slightly swollen (this could be from all the Fox SSBMs or because of the bugs in the house biting me every day), like pink/red and swollen/bigger than usual, is there any way to fix this ASAP? I’m boarding my flight to Texas now,” he wrote.
He then shared a photo of his hand and one of his right leg, covered in red, painful bumps that appeared to be insect bites. Zimmerman said the bites happened to him “every week” and were a driving factor in his decision to move from Ohio to California.
“I had about a hundred on my body two months ago. Like on my whole body. It’s not even the worst photo, not even close,” he explained in another post. “It’s just house bug bites. I’ve lived like this all year. Or the last few months.”
Needless to say, fans were quite concerned about Zimmerman’s health and living conditions, with many believing he was dealing with a bedbug infestation. Others urged him not to board a plane or stay in a hotel, saying he could spread so-called bedbugs, known for sneaking into luggage and clothing to lay their eggs at their next destination.
News of Zimmerman’s condition quickly spread online, sparking endless discussions within the fighting game community – to the point where the tournament he was competing in, Xtreme Fighters Showdown, banned him from the event altogether.
The tournament’s CEO released a statement on the situation on Twitter/X, alerting the public that Mew2King was no longer invited to participate in the competition as a direct result of his health issues.
“For the safety of our event, XFS 2026, we have politely informed Mew2King that he will not be able to participate in or attend our event this weekend due to a self-reported health issue,” the statement said. “The health and well-being of our participants is our priority. Thank you and see you this weekend.”
Good evening, a message from our CEO, M333:
For the safety of our event, XFS 2026, we have politely informed Mew2King that he will not be able to participate in or attend our event this weekend due to a self-reported health issue.
The health and well-being of our participants is our priority.
Thank you and see you this weekend.
— Xtreme Fighters Showdown (@xfshowdown) October 16, 2026
Zimmerman has not provided any public updates following this latest development and has since deleted all tweets discussing his skin condition.
This is the latest viral moment to make headlines in the competitive gaming space after professional DotA 2 player “23savage” was forced to play in front of police officers after one of his team’s training camps was raided by law enforcement.
And in September, Pokémon VGC regional champion Donghun Youm claimed he lost a match because of his opponent’s overwhelming stench, prompting the community to push players to use deodorant during tournaments.
Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s senior news editor. With ten years of experience in the gaming and entertainment industry, she has a strong background in the fighting game community, influencer news and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.
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