It is with a heavy heart that the Super Smash Bros. Melee community mourns the loss of one of its most skilled yet controversial players, Abdulaziz “Hax$” Al-Yami. At just 30 years old, the former pro player has passed away, with his family confirming his death on March 25, 2025.
His death follows years of struggles with mental health, social isolation, and controversy within the Melee scene. Hax$ had been banned from competitive play all the way back in June 2021, and everything went downhill from there. We don’t know the exact cause of death, but all we can say is that it doesn’t matter what he did or didn’t do. The Smash community is facing a big loss.
It went downhill for Hax$ ever since his ban from competitive Smash Bros events
Hax$ first made a name for himself as a young prodigy in the Melee scene, reaching the top 8 at Genesis at just 15 years old. We first saw him as a Captain Falcon main and he later switched to Fox, where his technical playstyle earned him a reputation as one of the game’s most skilled competitors.
Throughout his career, he placed among the world’s best, ranking as high as sixth in 2013 and remaining a top competitor until his indefinite ban in 2021. Hax$’s ban from Super Smash Melee tournaments is still one of the most debated topics in the Smash community. Bans affect people in ways we can’t even understand, and we need to realize that.
The undersigned have agreed to indefinitely ban Aziz “Hax” Al-Yami on the basis of violating section 2.2.1 and 2.3.3 of the Code of Conduct as set by the former conduct panel. Full statement: https://t.co/7RaUBcVn6A
— SmashEurope (@SmashEurope) June 24, 2021
At first, he was indefinitely suspended in June 2021 for violating the community’s Code of Conduct and accusations of defamation and harassment. His punishment was made permanent in January 2024 after he continued making accusations against fellow player William ‘Leffen’ Hjelte, incited harassment, and was alleged to have engaged in doxxing and stalking.
The ruling was signed by nearly all major U.S. tournament organizers. It stated that Hax$’s actions had made his presence in the scene fundamentally toxic. The TOs acknowledged that he did not pose a physical threat to players, but they noted that participation in tournaments was a privilege, not a right. And so that’s where the story should’ve ended.
We need to be mindful of the mental impact of gaming
Hax$ openly struggled with the effects of his ban, describing it as a painful separation from the community he had been a part of for two decades. In August 2024, he attempted to take his own life by jumping in front of a moving train, an incident that resulted in the amputation of his right leg.
While he survived, the incident left him with severe injuries and ongoing health complications. In the months leading up to his passing, he expressed deep regret over his actions and a desire to reconnect with the Melee community. There is a mental aspect to gaming, especially in the professional aspect of it, and it needs to be taken seriously.
i spoke to hax’s mom, she thanked me for being a good friend towards aziz, he spoke of me often.
I asked cause of death… it was a “broken heart, he cried a lot towards the end, and most people didn’t understand how much he loved being a gamer, it was his passion in life” :/
— Jason Zimmerman (@MVG_Mew2King) March 25, 2025
The Smash community has not been quiet about this, as we’ve seen multiple prominent figures speak up about it. Players like Hungrybox and Mew2King publicly mourned his loss, with Mew2King. M2K even claims that Hax$’s mother described his cause of death as a “broken heart.”
In the wake of his death, many are questioning whether the Melee community was too harsh in banning him permanently. There is nothing we can do at this point but mourn this great loss. Despite the controversies, Hax$ was undeniably one of the most influential Melee players of all time.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
