Bwipo cut from LoL Worlds 2025 music video amid controversy

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Riot Games postponed the release of the League of Legends World Championship 2025 theme song video after removing FlyQuest player Bwipo due to sexist remarks he made while livestreaming.

Riot Games is delaying the release of the League of Legends Worlds 2025 music video. This is because they are removing footage of FlyQuest player Bwipo following recent issues. While they’ve confirmed the delay, they haven’t said when the updated video will be available.

Bwipo removed from the LoL Worlds 2025 music video

Each year, Riot Games creates a new music video and song for the League of Legends World Championship. Recent videos have showcased amazing animation, depicting past players in epic, movie-like battles. Last year’s video notably featured Linkin Park performing their song, “Heavy is the Crown,” directly within the animation.

Riot Games had originally planned to release their 2025 music video on October 13th, but they’ve postponed it following controversy surrounding player Gabriël “Bwipo” Rau. Bwipo was suspended after making sexist comments during a livestream. He apologized for the comments, calling them “ignorant and disrespectful.” He was also barred from a playoff match, and FlyQuest announced his prize money would be donated to organizations supporting women in gaming.

No regional representation

Riot Games has decided to remove player Bwipo, who represented North America, from an upcoming video, meaning the region won’t be shown. This caused upset among fans. Riot explained the decision wasn’t a punishment, but a choice about how they present the game and its community internationally. They also stated the video is meant to celebrate the game’s 15th anniversary.

One fan expressed disbelief that North America was being completely removed from the video, suggesting any other player from FlyQuest could replace Bwipo. Another criticized the use of a European player to represent the Americas. Several others called out Riot Games for hypocrisy, pointing to their relationship with Saudi Arabia and their decision to host events there.

And the others?

So, the whole Bwipo thing reminded everyone about something else that happened recently. This player, Shanks from Anyone’s Legends – they actually qualified for Worlds next year, which is awesome for them – was streaming and, unfortunately, started harassing someone online. His team looked into it, and it turns out he broke their rules about discrimination and how you’re supposed to communicate with people. It’s a bummer to hear, honestly.

Consequently, the organization withheld almost three months’ worth of Shanks’ bonus pay and gave him a formal warning. Club management stressed that all players are expected to adhere to team rules in all settings, demonstrate respect, and refrain from public disagreements.

Following Riot’s announcement regarding the music video, fans began asking if AL Shanks would still be included, given the recent issues surrounding him. It’s currently unknown if the player from China will appear, and Riot Games hasn’t yet responded to these questions.

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2025-10-08 22:44