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NAVI streamer and former Valorant pro Ardis ‘ardiis’ Svarenieks has apologized after facing backlash for comments made during a Valorant Game Changers co-stream that many viewers described as transphobic.
The apology comes after clips from the stream spread across social media, prompting criticism from members of the Valorant community and calls for Riot Games and NAVI to respond.
During the Game Changers co-stream, ardiis and former Fnatic player Leo ‘Leo’ Jannesson referred to certain players as “Bumblebees,” a term many viewers interpreted as a reference to transgender competitors.
Ardiis also said, “I don’t want to get banned, but we need a nickname for them, bro,” before joking that he could change genders himself to compete in the league.
The comments were widely condemned, with some fans accusing the pair of using transphobic language and urging Riot Games to remove them from future Game Changers broadcasts.
Following the backlash, ardiis posted a public apology on X.
“Hey everyone,” he wrote. “The comments I made on stream about the transgender community were unacceptable. Even for me it was too much.
“I’m so sorry to everyone I offended; it won’t happen again. Peace and love to everyone.”
However, ardiis previously defended himself on stream, claiming women had privately thanked him for speaking out and said he was bringing more attention to the Game Changers scene.
“Do you know how many women have messaged me saying ‘I can’t go public, but thank you’? Minimum five. I’m the only one putting eyes on the Game Changers scene.”
In another clip, he argued that those who have a “normal upbringing” can never be trans.
“I think if [you have] a normal upbringing, with a good family tree, and you’re a loving mother and daughter with no family trauma, trans is not an option.
“I think trans in this community happens if you have like some trauma in your childhood, or maybe you have like an abusive father or abusive mother, or some sh*t like this. Then you feel alone as a child, you go into a community online that is this trans, whatever community. They accept you, they mold you, they say ‘oh we love you, we do this, you’re not really a boy who’s 10 years old, you’re really called Amelia.”
Riot’s 2026 VCT Game Changers rulebook states that eligible players must identify as women or gender diverse, with the competition designed to create opportunities and visibility for women and other marginalized genders in Valorant esports.
