Bwipo Suspended Following Sexist Comments

10 Sep

Foo Zen-Wen

Earlier this week, FlyQuest Top Laner Gabriël “Bwipo” Rau made several comments on his stream, expressing his opinion on ability of women to compete professionally in League of Legends.

FlyQuest has now suspended Bwipo from the upcoming Upper Bracket Final matchup against Vivo Keyd Stars in the LTA 2025 Championship. Furthermore, the organization has announced that the Rau’s event prize money would be donated to causes supporting women in gaming.

Anger Ensues Following Inciting Comments from Bwipo

Bwipo once again finds himself in hot water following inflammatory comments made onstream. In the clip, he is found citing menstrual cycles as a competitive disadvantage.

“There is a time in the month where you should not be playing competitive games as a woman, in my opinion,” said the professional player during the broadcast. His claim was that women faced biological disadvantages in competitive gaming, specifically mentioning menstrual cycles. He went on to suggest that women players could focus on activities like VOD reviewing during those periods rather than competing. “But competition isn’t going to schedule around your period,” he added.

The community was quick to respond and criticize the comments made, with many notable figures including themselves in the discussion including Isaac “Azael” Cummings-Bentley, as well as broadcasters Sjokz and Ovilee May.

FlyQuest Takes Action

FlyQuest’s reaction came as little surprise given their support over the years to diversity in gaming through their RED program.

“Every day, we try to make the gaming space better and that includes helping anyone with a passion for competition reach the highest possible levels of play. That’s why we’re so proud of the RED program and our work to elevate diverse and underserved communities across gaming.”

The organization admitted that their first impulse had been to “educate” Rau but ultimately landed on accountability as the more important focus – hence, the suspension. This isn't the first time Bwipo has landed in hot water over his comments, but this time it'll be a costly one to endure for both the player and the organization. The next scheduled series for FlyQuest is set for September 20th, and the team will have to contend with their starting top laner missing it.

Bwipo Responds with Apology

"I know I f**ked up," he said in his statement on X. "My comments were ignorant and disrespectful to women, including those close to me," he said. "I'm sorry to those I hurt. I regret using my platform to fuel vitriol and sexism instead of support, and I'll be taking steps to reflect, listen, and do better."

Despite the sincere tone of the apology, the community remains divided, still reminded of his earlier remarks and the repercussions the player already faced prior to the apology coming out.

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Featured Image Credit: Stefan Wisnoski/Riot Games

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