Riot Games delayed the LoL Worlds 2025 music video release after removing FlyQuest’s Bwipo for making sexist comments on stream.
Riot Games announced that it will postpone the release of the League of Legends (LoL) Worlds 2025 music video to remove FlyQuest toplaner Gabriël "Bwipo" Rau from the animation following his recent controversy. The company confirmed the delay on X.
Bwipo removed from the LoL Worlds 2025 music video
Every year, Riot Games releases a new music video for the League of Legends World Championship, accompanied by an anthem for that edition. In the latest videos, we have enjoyed incredibly well-done animations featuring players from previous years engaged in intense battles that feel almost cinematic. Last year, we had Linkin Park performing "Heavy is the Crown" in the animation itself.
Riot Games initially scheduled the release of the 2025 music video a few days before Oct. 13. However, due to recent controversy involving Bwipo, the release got delayed. The toplaner was suspended following sexist remarks during a stream. The player apologized for the "ignorant and disrespectful" comments, as he described. He was also suspended for the League of Legends Championship of The Americas (LTA) playoffs match, and his event prize money was donated to "causes that support women in gaming," according to FlyQuest.
No regional representation
Riot Games announced that it would remove Bwipo, the player representing the North America (NA) region, which means the region will no longer be featured in the video. This decision sparked negative reactions from fans. "This was not part of any sanction or competitive ruling, but a decision about how we represent our sport and community on a global stage," they added. According to Riot Games, this music video is also celebratory of the 15th anniversary of the game.
"Erasing NA entirely from the video is crazy. Just replace Bwipo with literally anyone else on FQ," a fan wrote on X. Another user added: "Using a European to represent the Americas, wow, very clever." Others accused Riot Games of being “hypocritical” because of the company’s ties to Saudi Arabia and its decision to hold tournaments there.
And the others?
The controversy involving Bwipo drew attention to another recent incident. Cui “Shanks” Xiao-Jun, a player for Anyone’s Legend, took part in an online debate stream where he harassed a woman. The Chinese team has qualified for LoL Worlds 2025. After conducting an internal investigation, the organization determined that the player had violated its anti-discrimination and communication policies.
As a result, the organization deducted nearly three months of Shanks’ salary bonuses and issued him an official warning. AL’s management emphasized that all players must follow the club’s rules both online and offline, show respect, and avoid public disputes.
After Riot Games released its statement about the music video, some fans demanded to know whether AL Shanks would appear in it following his recent controversy. It remains unclear whether the Chinese player will be featured. Riot Games has not commented on this matter yet.
That's all for now. Stick around for more League of Legends news, guides, and updates on esports.gg.
