Mew2King Barred From XFS, Says Viral Leg Photo Was Months Old

Jason “Mew2King” Zimmerman had been preparing for a weekend of Smash in Austin. Instead, Xtreme Fighters Showdown told him he could not attend after his posts about swollen hands and insect bites raised concerns among other players. He has now responded, saying the most widely shared photo of his leg was months old and disputing claims that he had bed bugs.

IGN’s report has been updated since the original posts on October 15. The organizer announced its decision on October 16, and Zimmerman published a lengthy explanation the following day. His response gives an important update to the photos that prompted the initial reaction.

XFS says its decision was about attendee safety

In its public announcement, Xtreme Fighters Showdown said Zimmerman would be unable to compete or attend XFS 2026 that weekend because of a self-reported health concern. The message, issued on behalf of CEO M333, put the health and well-being of attendees first.

The announcement applies to that event. It does not announce a permanent suspension or a ban across the wider Smash scene.

The health and wellbeing of our attendees is our priority.

Xtreme Fighters Showdown’s October 16 announcement

Before the decision, Zimmerman had asked followers about swelling in his hands while traveling to Texas. He suggested two possibilities: extensive practice with Fox in Super Smash Bros. Melee, or insects at home. He also shared photographs of his hand and leg. Those posts were subsequently deleted, but the images had already circulated widely. The initial reporting recorded his uncertainty over whether the insects were fleas or bed bugs.

Mew2King says the leg photo was about three months old

In his October 17 statement, Zimmerman said the photograph of his leg came from about three months earlier. The hand photo, he said, was taken that day, but his fingers returned to normal within hours. He regretted posting the older image without making its age clear and said it had given people an inaccurate impression of his current condition.

Zimmerman also said he had only seen fleas associated with the cats in the home and denied having bed bugs. According to his account, his belongings were washed and inspected before he left Ohio; he did laundry again after arriving in Texas, and two other people checked his clothes and bags. He said those checks found no insects. These are his statements about the situation, rather than an independently verified identification of the insects.

He had wanted to compete, he wrote, and had practiced, promoted the tournament, and encouraged friends to attend. That preparation ended with him explaining the pictures and announcing that he would stay away from in-person events for the foreseeable future.

I wont be streaming or around for a while (maybe weeks idk).

Mew2King’s October 17 response

A break from streaming, too

In the post accompanying his statement, Zimmerman said he was turning off replies after receiving hostile messages and would be away from streaming for a while, possibly weeks. He thanked the people who had shown concern. Follow-up reporting also covers his explanation of the older photograph and the precautions he says he took before the trip.

The concern about luggage has a factual basis, even though the photos do not establish what happened here. The CDC explains that bed bugs can travel in luggage and clothing, that cleanliness does not determine whether they are present, and that their bites can resemble flea or mosquito bites. A widely shared picture is not confirmation of a particular infestation.

For now, the public record contains an event’s precautionary decision and a player’s explanation of photos he regrets posting. Zimmerman says he will step away, while XFS’s announcement keeps him out of this weekend’s event. Neither statement establishes that he transported bed bugs to the tournament.