Maister Ends "Villain Era" After Smash Community Turns Against Him
Once known for being the reserved underdog, Smash Ultimate pro Enrique “Maister” Solís has been under fire for trash talking Andrew “Captain Syrup” at Low Tide City 2023.
In a very uncharacteristic moment, Maister was heard saying something along the lines of “you’re so f—ing bad” to 15-year-old Syrup after he won the set. This had a lot of fans shocked, since Maister often comes across as a shy goofball.
In response to the trash talking, a lot of people in the pro Smash scene started questioning Maister’s behavior, especially after learning just how young Syrup was. It seemed uncalled for to many players, leading to some major backlash. But Maister didn’t back down.
On Twitter, the Game & Watch icon wrote: “Made Top 8 losers, talked my shit, made the comeback and made the losers run. Also, if you don’t like what I’m doing of talking shit in person (instead of online like a little bitch), feel free to unfollow right now.”
Maister added “this is who I am” to the since-deleted tweet.
When someone brought up that Maister used to openly lash out against all of the haters and bullying he received for playing G&W, he responded: “Precisely what one of the replies says, I kinda don’t care at this point.”
In response to the whole ordeal, Syrup’s mother ended up responding on Twitter.
She wrote: “As an adult, I think players such as yourself have no class, zero sportsmanship. Even if you win, you’re still a loser all around. I have the utmost respect for all players but you’re the low of the low! No doubt.”
At this point, the drama was getting out of control and Maister deleted the original tweet. But over on Reddit, the Smash community continued to question his behavior. Even his fans said it was becoming hard to support him.
As Smash players and fans continued to condemn Maister for defending his toxic villain era behavior, the Ultimate pro decided to apologize on Twitter. According to Maister, he tried talking to Syrup but the request was denied. He also noted that he “genuinely forgot” how young Syrup was.
“I should not have trash talked him, not only because he is young, but because he has also not done anything to me nor did he say anything to me prior, during, or after our set. He is a great player with a lot of potential in him,” Maister lamented. “What I said was unacceptable, and I’m sorry.”
Regarding Syrup:
— LG | Maister (@Maister_SSB) May 15, 2023
I tried talking with Syrup but he doesn’t want to (understandably so). I should not have trash talked him not only because he is young, but because he has also not done anything to me nor did he say anything to me prior, during or after our set. He is a great…
Maister concluded that he planned to learn from these mistakes, but the Smash community largely felt that the apology was only made due to social pressure. Some felt he didn’t truly reflect on the situation and were not convinced he would change.
Olivia is a long-time esports journalist and editor who covers just about every game but has a deep love for the FGC. Her goal is to find community-driven stories that bring a new perspective to the esports scene. In the past, she has worked for Team Liquid, Rogue, Inven Global, Dot Esports, Upcomer, and more. Outside of esports, Olivia enjoys Kirby, Pokemon TCG, Fallout, and writing science fiction. She can be found trying out new foods, traveling, or hanging out with her two orange cats. Fun fact: Olivia can do some video game and cartoon impressions!