Long-serving League of Legends esports host Eefje ‘Sjokz’ Depoortere has revealed the extent of the online hate she has received.
The LoL Worlds 2026 host is one of the most recognisable faces in all of esports, yet has faced security concerns during this year’s event.
Sjokz and fellow broadcaster Laure Valée have had to suffer a barrage of hate after criticising the anti-abortion rant by former G2 coach Luka ‘Perkz’ Perković.
Perkz has since had his contract terminated by G2 after releasing a controversial and unprompted polictical tangent on his now deleted Twitter page.
Sjokz Says She Will Be a ‘Lightning Rod’ of Hate for Other Women
After Perkz’s rant, Sjokz’s original comment on the matter was a very brief TikTok, where she stated:
“You know, sometimes, saying nothing is better than saying something. Words to live by…which is why I’m just gonna say, good night.”
She then released another video saying she is “always championing women and women’s rights” but was trying to focus on Worlds to be fair to fans and players who have been fighting all year to reach the tournament.
She then shared screenshots of a few of the hate messages she was receiving on social media.
Now, Sjokz has released another video revealing that she had to change hotel rooms due to safety concerns.
She stated she’s happy to shoulder this burden for other women but admitted she’s struggling:
“I’m a lightning rod for all these things, despite really not saying much.
“And I think that has to do with the fact that women do see me as someone who is inspirational for them, and for that I’m extremely, extremely thankful, and I will happily share the burden so you have a better future.”
“That doesn’t change that things are very, very hard. Dealing with some really abnormal sh*t here. Like having to move rooms in the middle of the night because of security concerns.”
Sjokz thanked her co-workers from the broadcast team for supporting her during this.
Caster Aaron ‘Medic’ Chamberlain, who was previously a doctor, publicly backed Sjokz with his own statement:
“The hate that Sjokz, Laure and other women are receiving from expressing the fact that abortion is a human right is disgusting.
“Amnesty International, WHO, and the UN all agree that limiting access to abortion violates the rights of people throughout the world.
“An estimated 25 million unsafe abortions are performed each year, leading to untold damage, and laws forbidding them impact marginalised communities throughout the world drastically more.”
Sjokz Hints There More She Wants to Say
Sjokz also hinted that there was more happening behind the scenes but couldn’t say what.
“There’s a lot I can’t say at this point and believe me, it’s burning. It’s all written down, it’s ready to go… for many, many, many reasons, as you can imagine, I can’t say anything.”
Sjokz added that she has tough skin but admitted it was difficult to deal with:
“Your girl has worked through so pretty heinous sh*t. Your girl has been doing this for 15 years. My mum passed away very unexpectedly, I worked through that. My dad passed away earlier this year, I worked through that.
“But the things I’ve worked through this World Championship are truly…. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.”
She then discussed possibly taking a break after LoL Worlds concludes this weekend:
“I was burning out a bit already, so maybe this is a sign to finally really put my mental health first.
What is your favourite memory of Sjokz from an esports broadcast? Share them with us on the Insider Gaming Discord.
Meanwhile, BLG became the first LPL team to eliminate T1 at a LoL Worlds tournament. And for even more Insider Gaming delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.
An esports journalist for nine years with a focus on LoL Jack has written for national newspapers, interviewed major names, and driven people mad with puns. He's most proud of…
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