Why is it that leakers are always "100% wrong and can't be trusted", yet we put full blind faith in a blurry 4chan leak that happens to have some things going for it? It's amazing.
Like hey, believe what you want, it's not my job to regulate how hyped people get or to convince people to temper their expectations but I think it's hilarious that people are shrugging folks off just because they say they have information. It's like nobody knows who these people are.
Should a lot of these people said they know people/stuff if they couldn't produce it? Probably not with the Smash fanbase. It's not even just because the fanbase is bad necessarily, but because it's about a mascot fighter and spots are slim pickings this time. You're poking the bear by even suggesting you have information.
That said, to believe that regardless of the identity of the leaker that they're just looking for attention and have no credibility is ludicrous. It's completely understandable that "insiders" would protect their sources. I have friends that are actually involved in the community. If they had information from leakers and they told me, do you think I'd tell some of you guys what they said two days before a Direct? Of course I wouldn't! That doesn't make any sense!
Leakers are protected by their confidants because there is a relationship of trust. Some of these relationships are friendships. You're literally asking someone to betray their friend to share information on a video game, and it's a video game that will have a final info dump within 36 hours.
I'm not even trying to make any of you feel bad, but to think about what you're suggesting. Some of the people that suggested they have information have good track records. Some do not. But the "team" mentality has made it seem like you have to believe one side or the other. That's not the case at all. You can feel like the Grinch leak is real while also thinking, "Well if it isn't, what this credible person says might work out too!".
We're all here because we love Smash. That's great.
Have some respect, at least, for some of these insiders. You don't necessarily have to believe them, but at least have some respect for the work they do for the community. The "insiders" are some of the people who run this site, or other websites that have Smash fans. They support the community. That's much more to be said than the users who come here to speculate, and then once the DLC is over, disappear for 3-4 years until the new one gets announced.
That is the user that will be forgotten, and that's regardless of if they're right about some stupid leak.
I'm even putting my money where my mouth is and have been invited to join the Writing Team here, which I'm excited for. I feel like I can finally give back or do something for the community again like last time when I became a moderator (and then disappeared, thus getting stripped of my mod status).
The leak hasn't even been proven either way, and some people are making themselves seem foolish. Let's chill people. Less than 36 hours remain until Base speculation turns into DLC speculation, and some dreams are either realized or crushed.
Prepare yourselves for that before taking anything for 100% truth.