Being a woman in the gaming industry is not easy, and statements like Bwipo’s only make it harder to challenge this paradigm.
You probably don’t feel like reading an article about how certain comments keep building bigger walls around women’s access to the gaming industry. And honestly, that’s kind of weird, because there shouldn’t be any walls when it comes to having fun playing video games.
Period talk: it is time to do some research!
Bwipo’s comments aren’t anything new. League of Legends has been around for 15 years, and women know all too well how difficult it can be to be in a ranked game. But the issue goes way beyond just a harmful remark. It’s about using a platform to present comments as if they were facts.
When Bwipo said, “There’s a time of the month where you should not be f**king playing competitive games as a woman,” and brushed it off as “his experience,” it takes the nonsense to a whole new level. What “experience,” exactly? Which personal experience are we talking about?
First of all, it’s important to clarify that periods are different for everyone. They’re a deeply personal experience that can range from barely feeling anything at all to dealing with overwhelming, even disabling pain. The first mistake is assuming everyone’s experience is the same. The second is to talk about something you have never experienced.
On top of that, how could you possibly know if someone is or isn’t on their period? Are you really so uneducated that the only symptom you can think of is “being irritated”?
The second point is just basic human knowledge. Unless someone is dealing with extremely painful periods or conditions like endometriosis that can truly affect their daily life, women can still do sports, go to work, play video games, read a book, in short, do everything they normally would while on their period. That’s exactly why we spend thousands of dollars on tampons and pads: to keep living our lives, not to put them on hold.
Assuming I can’t play League of Legends just because I’m on my period and I'm “too irritated” isn’t just problematic, it’s flat-out stupid. When a man or a boy rages over a game, smashes a monitor, or breaks a mouse, no one ever says, “Maybe he’s at the wrong time of the month.” Not only are you invalidating men’s ability to have emotions and not being able to control them, leading to these reactions, but you’re also reducing women’s emotions to only negative ones.
I am a woman and I like to play video games!
This is a sentence that causes a lot of confusion for many people. What is so wrong about being a woman and enjoying playing video games? Well, because that is a "boy's thing." That is the first thought of many people. When did we start to assume that video games are meant for boys only?
On many occasions, my player tag is enough to trigger some fragile minds. By assuming right away that I am a woman, it does not take long for some messages to drop in the chat. Sometimes, they are followed by "Are you duoing with your boyfriend? Is he carrying you? Are you single? Can I get your Instagram?"
Sometimes, you don’t even need to play poorly for them to find a reason to hate you. Often, your mere existence is enough: your voice, your pink or purple skin, your presence, your name tag. And nothing is more infuriating to them than when you outperform them. In those moments, it feels almost unreal to them, and you’re immediately accused of cheating or asked if your boyfriend is secretly playing on your keyboard.
And no, this doesn’t happen every game. In fact, I’ve made many friends through gaming, people who truly see it for what it is: a game. A safe space to have fun, relieve stress, and simply enjoy doing what you love.
Being part of such a challenging industry, I’m grateful to say that in my short time writing about esports, I’ve had the chance to meet some truly incredible people, and that’s something we all deserve. As a woman in the gaming industry, I see that while many things are great, there are still plenty of issues that need to be addressed. It’s 2025, and hating on women does not make anyone a “cool guy.”
There is still a long road to walk
The gaming industry still has a long road ahead. Access is not equal, despite some trying to give the impression otherwise. Women are still often perceived as less capable or less intelligent by certain people, and this is not something that will change overnight. It takes time.
Statements like Bwipo’s only reinforce the misconception that women cannot perform at the same level as men. They aggravate an idea that is already deeply ingrained in society. Many who share this viewpoint speak from experiences they do not have. They do not have to navigate the same realities that we do, so it's easy to talk about it.
It’s all too easy to turn a blind eye to the lack of research on women’s conditions, to ignore the data showing that women with the same qualifications still earn less than men in the same positions. It’s easy to overlook the constant pressure women face, such as balancing careers and motherhood later in life. All too often, people simply look the other way.
With that in mind, it’s time to support women in the gaming industry. Rather than making their lives harder, let’s celebrate what makes gaming truly special: being a space for everyone. In the embedded link below, you can watch a video honoring Women’s Day. It features many Brazilian female streamers and professional players, showcasing both their skill and their natural sense of humor.
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