Here’s how the Worlds went for Fnatic:

• European team Fnatic was considered a contender to at least reach the quarterfinals. But one of their most important players, ADC Upset, had to leave the Worlds due to family reasons.
• Without Upset, Fnatic won only one match and was eliminated in the group stage.
• Jungler Bwipo was unfollowed on his team’s social media accounts after the first week. After the elimination, he addressed the fans in a post.

Bwipo says: Loss of Upset has broken him

This is what Bwipo saysIn a post on Twitter, Bwipo explains his situation (via twitlonger). He says that the 23-year-old was hit hard by the information that Upset is leaving the Worlds. Especially because the information came so shortly before the 1st game and without warning, it emotionally disintegrated Bwipo.

The whole game of Fnatic was designed for the outstandingly strong Botlane and Upset, writes the Belgian:

“I broke down crying because I knew we were lost. I didn’t know what we were going to do. All our success came from the Botlane. Without it, I didn’t see any possibility anymore.”

Bwipo

The Jungler says: He just couldn’t handle the situation, not after 16 hours, not after 40 hours, not even after 64 hours: Losing everything you’ve worked towards, that’s what broke him, he says.

That’s what it has to do with his girlfriend: Bwipo emphasizes the important role his girlfriend plays for himself and also for Team Fnatic. She has always supported him over the past 3 years, putting her own life on the back burner, and has always been there for him. She has also helped him keep Fnatic together, radiating good mood and hope – without her, Fnatic would have collapsed in week 2 of the Worlds, Bwipo believes.

Even when he was struggling with the news that Upset was leaving the team, he says his girlfriend supported him.

At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to be with her. Bwipo wanted to go home, talk to her. He just didn’t understand why he should put himself through the Worlds any longer. But his girlfriend persuaded him to stay.

Bwipo found the whole situation unbearable: he unfollowed Fnatic and the management out of sheer anger and frustration. It all felt so unfair.

But, according to Bwipo, his fans had apparently completely misread the situation from the outside and were now blaming his girlfriend for Bwipo seeming so distracted. His own fans and community had sent her death threats, attacked and insulted her for weeks. And Bwipo had allowed this to happen.

Bwipo says his girlfriend always did everything she could to support him and Fnatic. And he did nothing but allow her to get blamed for everything, even though it wasn’t her fault.

She has now left social media – because of all the suffering and death threats, he said. He will now do the same.

What happens next? There is currently no statement from Bwipo about his future, but rumors are already circulating that he will leave Fnatic and look for a new team as a free agent in 2022 (via twitter).

It seems like a lot went to pieces during LoL Worlds 2021.

Apparently a “Yoko Ono” situation.

This is what’s behind it: Bwipo repeatedly shows his affection for his girlfriend on Twitter, in interviews, and even in LoL itself. For example, he hovered over the hero “Kai’Sa” in the champion selection as a greeting to her. He tweeted about her frequently in the month leading up to LoL Worlds. Writes about how much he misses her and how much he owes her.

Apparently, for some reason, these public expressions of affection have led to an image building up among parts of the community, especially the French-speaking one, of some sort of “Yoko Ono” figure ruining Fnatic the way Yoko Ono is said to have ruined the Beatles.

Then when Bwipo got into an exceptional situation and couldn’t handle the loss of Upset, the situation seems to have escalated. It shows how difficult it is for e-athletes when their private lives become too public on social media.

LoL: Fnatic releases heartbreaking video as their dream of Worlds shatters