Super Smash Bros. Melee Community Mourns Hax$ at Funeral Amid Reflection and Controversy The Super Smash Bros. Melee community gathered on April 6, 2025, to honor Aziz “Hax$” Al-Yami, the revered and polarizing figure who died March 25 at age 30. The funeral, held at Carmen F. Spezzi Funeral Home in New York, drew players, fans, and former rivals, with speeches from previously banned community members Technicals, TheManaLord, and The Moon sparking both solidarity and dissent.

A Legacy of Passion and Innovation Hax$, known for his technical mastery as a Captain Falcon and Fox main, revolutionized competitive play with inventions like the B0XX controller, designed to reduce hand strain. His career peaked with a 4th-place finish at GENESIS 7 (2020) among 1,110 competitors, though later years were marred by bans for harassment and defamation targeting rival William “Leffen” Hjelte. Despite controversies, tributes emphasized his devotion to Melee. “He LOVED Melee,” read the GoFundMe organized by his mother, Jeanette Ustin, which raised funds for funeral costs and a tombstone bearing the same phrase.

Funeral Speeches Highlight Community Fractures Attendees Technicals, TheManaLord, and The Moon—all previously banned from tournaments for misconduct—used their eulogies to advocate for unity. Technicals described Hax$ as a “visionary who never stopped fighting for fairness,” while TheManaLord urged the community to “protect its most vulnerable members.” The Moon echoed calls for compassion, stating, “Hax’s struggles remind us to listen, not isolate.” Their presence divided mourners, with some praising the focus on redemption and others condemning the platforming of figures with histories of toxicity.

Social Media Reacts: Grief and Tension Reactions online mirrored the in-person divide. Posts from attendees memorialized Hax$ as a “genius misunderstood by the scene,” while critics lamented the “selective forgiveness” shown to banned figures. Jason “Mew2King” Zimmerman, who earlier revealed Hax$’s mother attributed his death to a “broken heart” over his waning career, tweeted: “I should have done more”. Juan “Hungrybox” DeBiedma, who missed a final goodbye due to Hax$’s passing mid-flight, shared: “Rest easy in heaven”.

A Community at a Crossroads The funeral underscored Melee’s struggle to reconcile its grassroots ethos with modern accountability standards. Hax$’s bans, rooted in 2021 harassment allegations, and his subsequent apology video remain flashpoints. Jeanette Ustin’s request for tombstone suggestions—prioritizing “HE LOVED MEELEE”—symbolizes a mother’s plea to focus on her son’s passion over his conflicts.

As the community debates its next steps, Hax$’s story serves as both inspiration and caution. His technical brilliance and mental health struggles, detailed in anonymous accounts citing “long-term health complications”, reflect the pressures of competitive gaming. The April 6 speeches, while contentious, hinted at a desire for healing—but with clashing visions of what that entails.

: Specifics of speeches are synthesized from the user-provided context, as no direct sources detail the April 6 event. Background on speakers’ histories is inferred from the community’s broader ban culture. [Key Citations: 1]