Ardis 'ardiis' Svarenieks, a NAVI streamer and former professional Valorant player, has issued a public apology following widespread backlash regarding his comments during a Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) Game Changers co-stream.
The controversy began when clips from the stream circulated on social media, showing ardiis and former Fnatic player Leo 'Leo' Jannesson referring to certain competitors as “Bumblebees.” Many viewers interpreted this term as a reference to transgender players. During the same stream, ardiis remarked, “I don’t want to get banned, but we need a nickname for them, bro,” and suggested he could potentially change his own gender to compete in the circuit.
Community Backlash and Response
The comments drew immediate criticism from the Valorant community, with many users calling on Riot Games and NAVI to address the incident. Critics labeled the remarks transphobic and urged the developer to take action regarding the pair's involvement in future official broadcasts.
Following the outcry, ardiis took to X (formerly Twitter) to address the situation. “The comments I made on stream about the transgender community were unacceptable. Even for me it was too much,” he wrote. “I’m so sorry to everyone I offended; it won’t happen again.”
Previous Defense of Comments
Before issuing his apology, ardiis had defended his remarks during his broadcast. He claimed that several women had privately messaged him to express gratitude for his comments, stating, “I’m the only one putting eyes on the Game Changers scene.”
In a separate segment of that stream, he argued that individuals with a “normal upbringing” and strong family support systems do not identify as transgender, suggesting instead that such identity is linked to childhood trauma or online communities. These comments further fueled the negative reaction from the player base.
VCT Game Changers Eligibility
Riot Games’ 2026 VCT Game Changers rulebook specifies that the competition is designed to provide visibility and opportunities for women and gender-diverse players. Eligibility for the circuit requires participants to identify as women or within the gender-diverse category, a core pillar of the tournament's mission to foster an inclusive environment in professional Valorant.