Professional League of Legends player Gabriël “Bwipo” Rau drew heavy criticism this week after clips from his personal stream went viral. The FlyQuest top laner made comments suggesting that women’s gaming performance suffers during menstruation and they should avoid ranked matches during that time.
The remarks, made about a week ago on Twitch, only gained widespread attention when clips began circulating on social media. The reaction was swift and severe, with fans and fellow players criticizing the sexist nature of his comments.
FlyQuest responded quickly by suspending Bwipo for one competitive series. The organization, known for its community-focused branding, made it clear that such remarks don’t align with their values.
Hours after the suspension announcement, Bwipo posted a public apology on social media. He acknowledged his comments were wrong and promised to reflect on his behavior. The apology came across as standard damage control to many fans who pointed out he only apologized after getting caught.
Bwipo isn’t new to controversy. The 25-year-old Belgian player has built a reputation for being outspoken during his streams. He rose to fame playing for Fnatic from 2018 to 2021, then joined Team Liquid before landing at FlyQuest this year. His analytical approach to the game has earned him fans, but his unfiltered commentary has repeatedly landed him in trouble.
The timing is rough for FlyQuest. With the team competing in championship matches that could determine their path to Worlds, losing their starting top laner even for one series could hurt their momentum.
When keeping it “real” goes wrong
So far, Riot Games hasn’t announced any league-wide punishment. Some fans are calling for official sanctions beyond the team suspension, including fines or mandatory sensitivity training. Whether the league will step in remains to be seen.
For now, Bwipo’s streaming future might need some adjustments. Many pros have media training specifically to avoid these situations, but Bwipo seems to have missed that memo. His teammate Spica ironically spent time on his own stream watching educational videos about women’s health—a stark contrast to Bwipo’s ignorant remarks.
