Former Team Liquid coach, tournament organizer, and well-known commentator Ryan “L4st” Kriechbaum has been banned from participating in Super Smash Bros events in the state of Georgia. The decision was made after a number of serious allegations were brought against him.
On May 11, the official Georgia Smash account on X stated that moderators had received multiple complaints about Kriechbaum from several individuals. According to the statement, L4st has been accused of:
- rape;
- emotional abuse and manipulation;
- coercion;
- multiple instances of sexual assault.
Georgia Smash leadership recommended that Kriechbaum receive an indefinite ban from all local, regional, and major tournaments. Organization representatives also stated that similar incidents involving L4st allegedly occurred in other regions as well.
It was also revealed that in 2024, Kriechbaum had already been privately banned from several Georgia tournaments at the request of one of the alleged victims in order to ensure their safety.
Georgia Smash is currently facing criticism from members of the community for not making these facts public earlier and for keeping the restrictions private for such a long period of time.
L4st has been a notable figure in the professional Super Smash Bros scene. In addition to commentating and organizing events, he served as a coach for MkLeo, who is widely considered the most accomplished Smash Ultimate player of all time.
At the time of publication, Kriechbaum had not issued any public comments or denials regarding the allegations.
As a reminder, PUBG Mobile recently removed an in-game item following protests from the Muslim community.