Sjokz: "We won't necessarily have fully mixed teams next year, but now we can at least dream of it"

While teams are currently battling in Shanghai for the final and most prestigious title of the 2025 season at Worlds, action is also heating up in France, where the two best European women’s teams are preparing for an ultimate showdown to claim the inaugural League of Legends Game Changers championship. From the newly founded underdogs of Eterna, partnered with FlyQuest, to the regional titans of G2 Hel, the upcoming match promises to be explosive—especially as G2 looks to take revenge after suffering an upset at the hands of the transatlantic newcomers in a five-game nailbiter during the upper bracket juggernaut match.

Taking place at Paris Games Week on Friday, October 31 at 13:00 CET—set to be broadcast directly on the LEC’s official Twitch channel—Europe now waits to crown its first-ever LGC titleholders. With new competitions emerging, such as the Nova Series announced earlier this month, the scene continues to rise—building on years of grassroots efforts and limited support for women in esports. Ahead of the final, Sheep Esports sat down with Eefje "Sjokz" Depoortere, legendary host and iconic figure of the esports scene, to discuss the importance of such tournaments, her experience as a woman in esports, and why more visibility and promotion are still needed for these competitions.

Sheep Esports: "You started as a competitive Unreal Tournament '99 player, and your nickname comes from the Shock Rifle in that game. We’ve recently seen the LoL Game Changers and Nova Series announced as new initiatives led by Riot Games and its partners to promote a more inclusive and safe environment for women in esports."

Eefje "Sjokz" Depoortere: "It's a layered question. I've always believed there's no reason for women not to be able to mix with men in pro teams. As many people have noted, it's not just about skill—it's about having a place to practice comfortably, where you can express yourself and feel supported. Having a community to help you grow.

The fact that pro teams might need to adjust how they run their teams because women are different from men doesn't mean they are less skilled at video games—that's ridiculous. It's far more accepted for men to play games, and it's not looked down upon as a hobby for them. When I started with Unreal Tournament, there was a lot of, “what? You should be doing this instead.” I started playing in a group, and they were all men. You needed to have really thick skin.

Even now, I still encounter challenges as a woman. I've had to shake off comments like, “you're only there because you're a woman,” but some people still believe that. Sometimes the community still reflects those behaviors, especially on platforms we hold dear. That's why environments like Game Changers, where women can play, practice, find themselves, and show what they're made of, are so important. It's exactly like coming up through the ERL systems, which have existed for many, many years for others. Creating that kind of pathway today can only be a good thing.

If you watch content from Game Changers or the VALORANT women's scene, they do an amazing job. They give men a run for their money—they train as much and often produce even better content. It's incredible to see. VALORANT has a really strong women's scene because of that. That's how it begins, and representation matters. We won't necessarily have fully mixed teams next year, but now we can at least dream of it. It's really exciting, and I hope everyone enjoys and supports these new projects."

Sjokz: "It's super important, and I hope we can strive for more integration—ideally during every regular LEC week. If there’s something to share, we should include it. I’d also really like to invite some of the players to our desk. We’ve suggested it a few times, like, “Can we bring them to the studio?” Maybe do a short segment, or have someone like Caltys (Maya Henckel), who’s hilarious, or Mile (Luise Emilie Tschersich), who runs a great series on TikTok breaking down everything about the LGC, share their own perspective on it all. That’s something Laure Valée and I have been pushing for a lot.

There’s always a lot happening and a lot that has to be said on broadcast, but we’re on it, and we’ll continue next year. A huge shout-out to everyone who covers the league. I hope more and more people will start to create content and memes around Game Changers."