Hey, guys. I write this article with a heavy heart. I know this column has been a consistent source of student opinion on the gaming industry at USC, but unfortunately, it has been brought to my attention that I am unqualified to continue writing about video games. Why? Because I’m on my period.

That’s what I would say if I lived in the United States of Bwipo, anyway. But, much to the chagrin of an industry still plagued by frequent sexism and discrimination scandals, I’m here to stay.

Last fall, I attended the League Championship Series finals at the YouTube Theater as a reporter — one of my favorite opportunities I’ve had working for the Daily Trojan. Though I was a relatively new League of Legends esports fan at the time, I had already grown to love FlyQuest, supporting them as my team throughout the 2024 LCS.

Seeing them play in person, with them ultimately beating Team Liquid to claim the 2024 LCS title, had me awestruck. As a jungler — one of five roles in League — I particularly idolized FLY Inspired for his dominant jungling excellence; still, I deemed the entire team worthy of praise for their performances throughout the weekend — especially FLY Bwipo.

So, imagine my aggravation when I opened X on Sept. 9, just to be met with a clip of Bwipo spewing ignorant, sexist rhetoric during a routine stream. I felt like that one picture of a disgruntled Lois Griffin looking at her phone — disappointed, but not surprised.

“Women’s anatomy and their monthly cycles are extremely different from males, and there’s no proper support system for women to go through what they’re going through,” Bwipo said while explaining why he thinks there are few women esports professionals. “There’s a time in the month when you should not be fucking playing competitive games as a woman, in my opinion.”

It’s no secret that gaming communities and the industry as a whole have almost always been perceived — rightfully so — as inherently sexist spaces, both recreationally and professionally. One would be hard-pressed to find a woman interested in video games who hasn’t faced sexism while simply trying to enjoy her hobby.

Esports in particular — a subsect of the gaming industry — is not different; despite women making up a third of esports fans in 2024, as reported by Deloitte, they still regularly face sex-based discrimination in social and professional esports environments. Also, as shown in a study published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior in 2024, women’s gaming skills are more commonly judged based on stereotypes, while men’s skills are judged based on outcomes.

Ultimately, despite my love of esports, its unique approach to sports entertainment and its promising future, it’s become more and more clear that it is near impossible to find a safe space within esports that hasn’t been subjected to anti-women prejudice and stereotypes.

Some esports organizations and game companies, such as Shopify Rebellion and Riot Games, have been praised for their efforts in including women in both their communities and rosters. Personally, though, I do not think these are efforts worthy of extensive praise: By applauding what should be considered a necessity in forging more welcoming environments for women fans and players, we contribute to the otherization of women within the space.

In recognizing that esports communities are inherently sexist, esports organizations including women should be considered a bare minimum endeavour, both internally and externally.

FlyQuest suspended Bwipo from participating in the next series in the LTA playoffs in response to his comments. Additionally, Fly promised to donate Bwipo’s winnings to “causes that support women in gaming.” I would be lying if I said I was not somewhat irritated at this response to Bwipo’s comments from FlyQuest: Regardless of the severity of the consequences he is facing, the nonspecific promise of charity donations rubbed me the wrong way.

There are many organizations whose sole purpose is to promote the inclusion of women in gaming and esports. Women in Games International and Raidiant.gg, in particular, are fantastic resource hubs, support communities and program providers available to women in gaming.

When Fly actually makes good on this donation promise, I hope it promotes the specific organizations it donates to, raising awareness of resources available to the community that directly felt the effects of Bwipo’s comments.

I know esports’s sexism issue is systemic, a result of patriarchal culture being upheld by male-dominated consumer and professional bases. But, as I continue to make my way in this industry, I will continue to strive for a future where my sisters and daughters can engage with and enjoy esports the same way a man would. The real question is, will the organizations?

Aubrie Cole is a senior writing about video games in her column, “Downloadable Content,” which runs every other Friday. She is also the managing editor at the Daily Trojan.