FlyQuest top laner Gabriël “Bwipo” Rau issued a public apology at the League of Legends World Championship after Riot Games edited him out of the official Worlds anthem video.
The removal came after Bwipo made on-stream comments suggesting women face inherent disadvantages competing at the highest level in esports due to menstruation. The remarks drew immediate pushback from the community and were widely criticized as misogynistic.
Riot responded by editing the Worlds anthem video to remove all footage of Bwipo. The edit created an unexpected problem: Bwipo had been the only player representing the Americas region in the video. His removal left the LTA with essentially no on-screen presence in one of Riot’s biggest annual promotional pieces.
“I want to apologize for misrepresenting the LTA and for being removed from the Worlds anthem,” Bwipo said in a statement to Sheep Esports. He emphasized that he feels “really bad” because he doesn’t actually believe what he said and now considers the take “ridiculous.”
The Belgian player, who previously competed in the 2018 World Championship finals with Fnatic, said he learned a crucial lesson about public speaking. “I can’t just think out loud,” he explained. “I learned I need to take a moment to make sure I don’t say the wrong thing.”
Bwipo thanked FlyQuest for their support throughout the controversy. He revealed that he feared for both his career and his Worlds eligibility during the fallout. The organization gave him space while decisions were being made about potential consequences.
On the question of punishment, Bwipo took a measured approach. “When you are wrong and ask for forgiveness, it’s not your place to decide the punishment,” he said. He accepts whatever consequences come from Riot, the public, or other authorities.
Still in the game
Despite being removed from promotional content, Bwipo remains on FlyQuest’s active Worlds roster and is eligible to compete. The edit to the anthem video was a promotional decision rather than a competitive sanction.
This episode shows how much scrutiny professional players face in the streaming era. One poorly thought-out moment on stream can have immediate consequences for both personal branding and regional representation at the sport’s biggest event.
