“Moving Rooms in the Middle of the Night”: Sjokz Reveals Worlds 2026 Security Scare After Criticizing Former G2 Coach Perkz
After fifteen years as the defining face of international League of Legends broadcasts, Eefje "Sjokz" Depoortere is enduring the darkest chapter of her career right in the middle of Worlds 2026. Targeted by a relentless wave of online abuse after responding to an anti-abortion rant by former G2 Esports head coach Luka "Perkz" Perković, the veteran host revealed she was forced to change hotel rooms in the middle of the night due to security concerns.
A Measured TikTok Response That Sparked Coordinated Harassment
The controversy erupted on November 5, when Luka "Perkz" Perković published an unprompted political and personal tirade on his now-deleted X account, attacking former management, calling his roster dysfunctional, and labeling abortion "murder." Within minutes of the backlash, G2 Esports fired coach Perkz following a decisive statement from CEO Alban Dechelotte.
Despite the intensity of the uproar, Sjokz's initial reaction on TikTok was remarkably understated: "You know, sometimes, saying nothing is better than saying something. Words to live by... which is why I'm just gonna say, good night." In a brief follow-up video, she reiterated that she is "always championing women and women's rights," while emphasizing her desire to keep the spotlight on the players who fought all year to compete at Worlds 2026.
Even that measured stance was enough to make Sjokz and fellow broadcaster Laure Valée prime targets for vitriolic messages. On November 5, Sjokz shared screenshots of the abuse on her official X account, announcing she would step back from the platform to focus strictly on her hosting duties.
Check League of Legends deals on Allkeyshop→
Late-Night Hotel Relocation Amid Worlds 2026 Safety Fears
Rather than dying down ahead of the tournament finals, the hostility escalated into real-world safety precautions. In a new TikTok update shared over the weekend, Sjokz disclosed that security threats forced her to relocate rooms at her Worlds hotel in the dead of night.
"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 look up to me for inspiration, 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."
Behind the scenes, members of the Riot Games broadcast talent quickly rallied around their colleague. Former medical doctor turned LEC caster Aaron "Medic" Chamberlain issued a firm public defense of Sjokz and Laure Valée on his X account:
"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."
Fifteen Years on Stage, Family Grief, and Potential Time Off
Beyond the hotel relocation, Sjokz hinted that additional issues have been unfolding behind the curtain that she cannot yet make public: "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."
Having just guided millions of viewers through Bilibili Gaming's historic semifinal victory over T1 and Faker to set up the Worlds 2026 Grand Final against Gen.G, the Belgian host admitted the toll of this tournament has pushed her to the limit.
Reflecting on fifteen years in the industry during which she worked through the sudden passing of her mother and the loss of her father earlier in 2026, Sjokz stated she "wouldn't wish" what she has endured at this World Championship on her worst enemy. Admitting she was already feeling signs of burnout before the harassment began, she is now considering taking an extended break after this weekend's Grand Final to put her mental health first.
My Take
For fifteen years, Sjokz has carried international League of Legends stages with unmatched preparation across four languages and composure under live broadcast pressure. Being forced to pack her bags in the middle of the night at a Worlds hotel over a measured ten-second video crosses every acceptable line. Anyone who has worked around live tournament production knows how much focus a World Championship demands: stepping onto the stage in front of millions of viewers hours after a midnight security relocation, all while grieving the loss of her father earlier this year, takes extraordinary grit.
As Maëlle "Kaelen" pointed out from our Montreal desk when we reviewed this story, Perkz's self-inflicted meltdown left collateral damage far beyond G2 Esports' coaching staff. Watching online mobs target female broadcast talent to the point of physical security scares while the former coach deleted his own X account shows just how cowardly that corner of the internet really is. If Sjokz chooses to step away from the desk after this weekend's Grand Final, she has more than earned the rest, and tournament organizers need to treat talent security as an absolute priority.
SEO consultant for over 20 years and digital entrepreneur, Charles "Grimtag" is the founder of Pro-Gamer.gg, Retrocharting.com, and Gamescharting.com. A competitive gamer, streamer, and retro game collector, he has worked in the video game industry for over 15 years, notably as a consultant for leading game price comparison platforms. Passionate about real-time performance data and gaming technology, he analyzes competitive esports, gaming hardware benchmarks, and creator workflows on Pro-Gamer.gg with an authentic player perspective.
