The online gaming community is no stranger to heated debates, especially when it comes to the observable bias of mainstream media outlets. However, one particularly contentious figure, Alyssa Mercante, has once again ignited outrage while positioning herself as the perennial victim.
The former Kotaku senior editor has taken a bold and controversial step by filing a lawsuit against content creator Smash JT in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. This move has thrust her into the spotlight yet again, sparking broader conversations about ideological activism within gaming journalism and the perceived “woke indoctrination” of the gaming industry.
The 54-page lawsuit brings forward serious allegations, including claims of stochastic terrorism, defamation, bias-related violence or intimidation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and tortious interference. Yet, critics argue that the true issue extends far beyond the legal charges.
Central to the case are claims of doxxing, harassment, and endangerment, accusations Mercante attributes to Smash JT’s content on platforms like YouTube, Twitter, and his personal website. Ironically, Mercante herself has been accused of weaponizing the legal system to expose the defendant’s private information, a move critics argue jeopardizes Smash JT’s family’s safety.
This perceived hypocrisy has only intensified the outrage, painting Mercante’s actions as a deliberate effort to suppress dissent while simultaneously endangering those she opposes. This is especially glaring given her history of “investigative journalism,” where she probed anti-DEI and anti-Sweet Baby Inc Discord servers, questioning why participants chose to remain anonymous.
Mercante appeared to champion the idea that individuals should proudly attach their real identities to their views, dismissing the legitimate fear of retroactive backlash in a world where rapidly shifting societal norms can lead to reputational and personal ruin.
The tensions between Alyssa Mercante and Smash JT trace back to disputes over gaming industry coverage. As a prominent advocate of “the message” during her tenure at Kotaku, Mercante’s vocal stances on gaming topics earned her scorn by consumers.
They alongside Smash JT, took issue with her public condemnation of games like Stellar Blade, which was labeled sexist, immoral, and offensively unrealistic in their portrayal of women. At the same time, Mercante’s articles frequently championed pro-feminist narratives, solidifying her image as a cancerous figure in gaming journalism.
The feud more or less began when Mercante wrote an article defending Sweet Baby Inc.’s involvement in the gaming industry following a failed cancel campaign initiated by one of its employees, Chris Kindred. Mercante conveniently omitted details of the controversy and went as far as claiming that racism against White people was an impossibility, a statement that underscores the political agendas now permeating the gaming industry.
For many, Mercante epitomizes the ideological shift in gaming journalism that prioritizes agendas over artistry. Her support for narratives promoting the “transification” of women, the erasure of femininity, and the breakdown of gender distinctions aligns with a broader push for diversity and inclusivity that disrupts the creative process.
This shift is further compounded by DEI and ESG mandates, which opponents argue tokenize representation and displace traditional contributors, predominantly Whites and Asians from the industry’s core.
To detractors like Smash JT and his audience, Mercante’s actions and rhetoric symbolize the ongoing ideological battle within gaming. Her detractors argue that the push for diversity and representation has morphed into a vehicle for enforcing a rigid political orthodoxy, undermining creative freedom and alienating long-time fans of the medium. Whether one views Mercante as a champion of progress or a divisive ideologue, her role in this cultural flashpoint ensures that the debate over gaming’s future will continue to be anything but quiet.
.The conflict intensified when Mercante accused Smash JT of sharing personal information about her and her family, which she claimed created a dangerous environment of harassment. While this may hold some truth, Mercante effectively invited the backlash by publicly asserting that White people cannot be victims of racial prejudice. This statement came as part of her defense of Sweet Baby Inc., a company widely criticized for its involvement in numerous White-to-Black race swaps in the gaming industry.
Smash JT’s website, which aggregated publicly available information on gaming journalists and commentators, became a focal point of the controversy. Mercante and her allies accused the site of fostering targeted harassment by spotlighting individuals in what they deemed a negative context. The irony, however, is hard to ignore: this criticism mirrors the behavior of Chris Kindred, a former Sweet Baby Inc. employee, who decried it as harassment when a Steam user created a curator group to catalog publicly accessible information about Sweet Baby Inc.’s games and leave negative reviews.
These parallels underscore the mounting tension in the gaming industry over issues of accountability, transparency, and ideological agendas. Platforms like Smash JT’s website have become lightning rods in the battle between advocates of creative freedom and those pushing progressive narratives.
In her lawsuit, Mercante accuses Smash JT of orchestrating a deliberate campaign of doxxing, claiming he endangered her and her family by publishing private or identifiable information online. She also alleges that the resulting exposure caused her significant emotional distress and led to harassment.
Ironically, the notion of harassment took a sharp turn when Smash JT’s website itself became the target of coordinated efforts. Nick Calanda, an outspoken ally of Mercante, spearheaded a mass reporting campaign against the site, temporarily taking it offline.
During the downtime, both Calanda and Mercante took to social media to celebrate their success, with posts that openly praised and gloated about the shutdown.
The situation highlights a broader issue within the gaming industry: the growing tendency to use public platforms and coordinated campaigns as tools for silencing opposing voices while simultaneously framing oneself as a victim.
Mercante’s legal team focused on the inclusion of family details and photographs on Smash JT’s website, arguing that this breached privacy and crossed the line from public commentary into malicious behavior.
The allegations of exposing private information stem from Smash JT’s “Kotaku Detected” list. This list, a satirical yet pointed critique of gaming journalism, has garnered attention in online gaming communities, particularly among those critical of Kotaku’s editorial stance and those against woke ideology infecting their escapism.
The “Kotaku Detected” list serves as a catalog identifying individuals, outlets, or content perceived as embodying the biases, agendas, or practices often associated with Kotaku, likely due to the fact that they’re being named and shamed.
While the list is intended as a form of social commentary, its inclusion of publicly available information has sparked heated debate among those featured on the list. For supporters of Smash JT, the list represents a bold stand against what they see as ideological activism in gaming journalism.
To Smash JT and his supporters, Kotaku embodies what they perceive as the erosion of journalistic integrity in gaming, prioritizing political bullshit over meaningful coverage of the medium and I agree. The “Kotaku Detected” list serves as both a critique and a rallying cry, signaling resistance to what they view as the pervasive influence of woke-like values in gaming discourse.
For Smash JT’s audience, it’s a pushback against political activists they feel are hostile toward dissenting views.
Smash JT has denied all allegations, emphasizing that the information shared on his website was already publicly accessible, a fact difficult to dispute. He argues that the content was carefully curated to avoid including private or sensitive details, framing his actions as an exercise in free speech and public accountability.
However, the situation raises a provocative question: if a journalist, who writes for widely recognized publications and whose identity is openly available to millions, finds their name and likeness organized on a website highlighting their bias and rhetoric, how might they respond?
For some, such a list might feel like fair critique; for those featured it feels like a targeted attack, sparking a natural desire for its removal to avoid accountability for their actions.
Like it or not, Alyssa is a public figure, journalists inherently step into that role. She’s a grown adult, fully capable of making her own decisions and owning up to her actions. These include mocking an assassination attempt on Donald Trump and sharing provocative photos of herself on Twitter. After all, before carving out a controversial niche as a journalist antagonizing gamers, she openly admitted to her past as a whore.
After his website was taken down by hosting provider Wix over alleged privacy violations, Smash JT accused Nick and Mercante, along with their supporters, of organizing a mass-reporting campaign. He insists his platform was unjustly targeted, emphasizing that its purpose was to critique public figures, not to encourage harassment. Yet, ironically, the recently filed lawsuit focuses solely on Smash JT himself.
While Mercante ensured her own address was redacted from the public filing, citing personal safety concerns, she shared the lawsuit on her social media accounts, exposing her opponent’s private information to her audience.
This action, paired with her history of fostering hostility online, has raised alarms about the potential real-world risks now facing the defendant and their family. Critics have pointed out the hypocrisy of someone claiming to prioritize safety while exposing another’s private details.
Following the public filing, Smash JT’s physical address was revealed, prompting feminist allies to highlight it. These individuals, known for their disdain toward consumers rejecting the heavy-handed inclusivity and diversity trends in gaming, pose a significant risk.
These activists aim to destroy beloved franchises, inject forced political messaging and censorship alongside suppressing dissenting voices under the guise of progress. In an era where practices like swatting are all too common, the exposure of Smash JT’s address places him in real danger to those who pride themselves on destroying society with delusional fantasies as the woke mob watches and mocks from the sidelines.
Alyssa Mercante has repeatedly targeted both consumers and game developers, with one notable instance involving her calling the co-founder of Moon Studios a “dickhead” before reminding him about a smear piece regarding toxic work culture to silence him on the subject.
This followed his response to a woman falsely claiming to have contributed to his game. Her actions often ignite outrage, as she consistently antagonizes the very audience that gaming developers and journalists are supposed to serve.
Mercante’s pattern of sparking controversy, retreating to her echo chamber, and framing herself as the victim only deepens the divide between journalists and consumers. This disconnect is particularly evident in the reception of games like Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which attempt to push overtly woke ideologies and alienate their core audience in favor of ideological pandering.
The lawsuit is widely regarded by observers as a blatant attempt to silence Smash JT’s coverage of the gaming industry, likely spurred by his growing influence in the space. Alyssa’s legal team argues that the statements caused significant harm to her professional reputation and mental health. However, critics are quick to point out that the content in question came directly from Mercante’s own Twitter account, raising serious doubts about the validity of her claims.
The defendant is now saddled with substantial legal and financial challenges. Funds that were originally intended for cancer research through a GoFundMe campaign are now being diverted to cover mounting legal costs. This shift in resources has been called a tragic consequence of what many view as an unjust legal battle.
Despite the hardships, Smash JT remains confident in their defense, represented by Ron Coleman, an Orthodox Jew and defamation attorney. They see this ordeal as part of a larger attack on free expression within the gaming industry, and they stand firm in their resolve.
