League of Legends pro Gabriël “Bwipo” Rau kicked up major controversy during a recent livestream when he argued that women cannot succeed in top-tier esports because of their “anatomy” and “monthly cycles.”
The FlyQuest player made the comments during a personal stream on September 2nd. After initially stating that there isn’t enough support for women in esports, Bwipo pivoted to suggest that biological factors make it impossible for women to compete at the highest level.
“Women’s anatomy and monthly cycles create conditions that make it difficult for them to perform at the necessary competitive level,” Bwipo claimed during the stream. He went on to argue that tournament schedules wouldn’t accommodate menstrual cycles and suggested this affects the emotional stability required for professional play.
The clip quickly went viral across social media platforms. Gaming communities immediately pushed back against his statements, pointing out that women compete professionally in countless sports and careers without needing special scheduling accommodations.
Bwipo is a veteran player who previously competed for European powerhouse Fnatic from 2018–2021 and spent a year with Team Liquid before joining FlyQuest. He’s known for being outspoken on streams and podcasts. FlyQuest recently qualified for the 2024 World Championship, making them one of North America’s representatives at the tournament.
Women remain severely underrepresented in top-tier League of Legends. Maria “Remilia” Creveling made history as the first woman to play in the NA LCS back in 2015, but few have reached the highest competitive levels since. Unlike Valorant‘s Game Changers circuit, League lacks a global women’s competitive structure.
Plot twist: Male pros tilt just as much
Many viewers noted the irony in Bwipo’s emotional regulation argument, given how frequently male pros lose their cool during matches. Professional League of Legends is famous for players having emotional outbursts, rage quitting scrims, and creating team drama—none of which involves menstrual cycles.
As of now, neither FlyQuest nor Riot Games have issued any public statements about Bwipo’s comments. The LCS has previously fined and suspended players for inappropriate public remarks, though enforcement varies by incident. Whether this situation will prompt official action remains to be seen.
