Worlds 2025 Anthem delayed after Riot removes player from music video

The League of Legends Worlds 2025 Anthem will be shared three days after its planned release date, as Riot Games has announced last-minute changes to the music video.

Fans had been eagerly awaiting the song and music video since the artist announcement, expecting another cinematic and emotional celebration of the global competition. However, Riot has confirmed that the delay came after last-minute edits to remove a player originally featured in the video.

The change stems from the decision to remove Gabriël ‘Bwipo‘ Rau from the original cut of the video following his controversial public comments last month. The player was originally chosen to represent FlyQuest and the Americas region, and his removal supposedly required some reworking of scenes in the video. This resulted in the region no longer appearing in this year’s anthem. 

“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,” Riot emphasised in its statement.

The announcement has sparked mixed reactions across the community. Many fans supported Riot’s choice to uphold values of respect and inclusivity, but others criticised the move as inconsistent, questioning why an entire region should be affected by one player’s actions.

Some also pointed out perceived double standards given Riot’s partnerships with the Esports World Cup, an event backed by Saudi Arabian funding that has faced criticism over the country’s human rights record and involvement in global esports. 

It’s not unusual for Riot Games to select players to represent each region in the Worlds Anthems. These choices often celebrate the diversity and pride of the global League of Legends community, while connecting the music video to the storylines of its top competitors. For 2025, Bwipo was chosen to represent the Americas.

For more than a decade, Bwipo has recorded a successful career, with standout performances for Fnatic in the LEC, and later Team Liquid and FlyQuest in the LCS, earning him recognition as one of the most versatile and outspoken figures in the scene. Recently, however, Bwipo made a series of controversial remarks on social media and during a livestream that prompted FlyQuest to bench him and receive significant backlash. 

“There is a time in the month where you should not be f***ing playing competitive games as a woman” he said.

Though he later clarified that he did not intend to be sexist, the comments were widely criticised by fans and community figures alike. These comments — and the following backlash — prompted Riot’s decision to edit him out of the video as “it wouldn’t be right to showcase him in a piece that represents LoL Esports, pro players, and fans.”

Riot Games reiterated that this action was a conscious choice about how to portray League of Legends Esports to a global audience. In other words, Riot was not required to remove Bwipo — it was a voluntary decision made in alignment with the company’s values and public image.

While the delay has disappointed some fans, the Worlds 2025 Anthem remains one of the most anticipated moments of the competitive season. When it finally releases on October 13th, it will stand as both a celebration of the tournament’s 15-year milestone and a reminder of the complex balance between community values, player conduct, and global representation of esports.