FlyQuest top laner Gabriel “Bwipo” Rau drew criticism during a recent livestream when he suggested that women face significant competitive disadvantages during their menstrual cycle. The Belgian pro player claimed that women are more likely to tilt and perform worse during “the wrong time of the month,” implying they might struggle to compete at peak levels during menstruation.
The clip blew up on social media, drawing sharp criticism from the League of Legends community. Bwipo’s comments suggested that menstruation creates an emotional and performance barrier that could prevent women from competing effectively in professional esports.
Eefje “Sjokz” Depoortere, one of League of Legends‘ most prominent broadcast personalities, responded directly to the controversy through a measured TikTok video. The veteran host, who has been a cornerstone of European League broadcasts since the early 2010s, systematically addressed the problematic nature of Bwipo’s assertions.
In her response, Sjokz highlighted that women routinely excel in demanding, high-pressure environments while menstruating. She pointed out that elite female athletes, surgeons, pilots, and professionals in countless fields perform at the highest levels regardless of their menstrual cycle. The host emphasized that using periods as a justification to question women’s competitive abilities promotes harmful and false narratives about female capability.
Sjokz also addressed the broader issue of women’s health being historically under-researched and under-supported. She noted that while conditions like endometriosis and severe menstrual pain deserve better medical attention, these challenges don’t constitute grounds for excluding women from competition. Her tone remained educational rather than inflammatory, inviting informed conversation about the topic.
The timing of this controversy is particularly notable as FlyQuest recently qualified for the League of Legends World Championship. Teams and players typically face heightened scrutiny during this period, with sponsors and tournament organizers closely monitoring public relations issues.
When biology meets bad takes
Women remain underrepresented in top-tier League of Legends competition, though the reasons involve complex structural and cultural factors rather than biological limitations. While Riot Games has introduced initiatives like Game Changers in Valorant to support marginalized genders in esports, similar programs in League of Legends remain less established. The conversation around women in competitive gaming continues to evolve, with incidents like this highlighting the persistent misconceptions that female players face.
As of now, neither FlyQuest nor Riot Games has issued an official statement regarding Bwipo’s comments. The community response has ranged from calls for disciplinary action to suggestions that the player take a break from streaming to avoid further controversial statements.
