League of Legends’ female characters banned in Iranian tournament

Wednesday, 28th August 2013 12:54 GMT By Dave Cook

League of Legends’ female characters have largely been banned from use in an Iranian eSports tournament. The decision has been made to comply with the country’s customs pertaining to the characters’ revealing outfits.

As spotted by members of the LoL Forums, a post on Iran’s World Cyber Games Facebook feed stated that the following female Champions were banned in the tourney:


Kotaku reports that the post has since been pulled, but that you can find a translation of it here. The site adds that since the initial post the following characters are now up for consideration in the event:


Speaking with Kotaku, WCG Iran event coordinator Reza Babaei said that the event organisers have been in talks with the Iranian government for the past two months to allow League of Legends to be played in the country, but only under certain restrictions. The rules on female characters appear to be one such restriction.

The contest is to be held between September 12 and September 16 and is said to be official by WCG. However, the League of Legends forumites have been saying that it’s unofficial. It’s unclear if the decision on certain female characters will be over-turned at this point.

What do you make of the above?



  1. Aullah

    GTFO you idiot.

    #1 1 year ago
  2. silkvg247

    It’s fine, sexism doesn’t exist.

    #2 1 year ago
  3. Fin

    There should really be a spam filter for *noshitshurlock*.

    (there is now – EDITOR)

    #3 1 year ago
  4. deathm00n

    I know I will get a lot of hate, but I’d say, fair enough. It’s their culture, it may be disgusting, sexist, agressive, or whatever you want to call it, but it’s something completely normal for their culture.

    #4 1 year ago
  5. silkvg247

    I wonder if female gamers are allowed in the tourney.. bet they aren’t. Whole thing should be blacklisted from anyone in the rest of the civilised world. I would be amazed if this had any official endorsements; who on earth would want to tarnish their reputation by being affiliated with such misogynic nonsense?

    #5 1 year ago
  6. Djoenz

    Its not sexist tbh:

    Its the government that makes the decision:

    Its not about the the mere fact they are female, its about the fact their attire is too revealing.

    Its their culture.

    #6 1 year ago
  7. DSB

    @8 Saying that it isn’t sexist because it’s the law is silly. It’s just a sexist law.

    The attire would be a quick fix in the form of a couple of new skins. This is about a bunch of guys who are terrified of women, who don’t want to see their glorious sons beaten by a girl, or even an avatar of a girl.

    It’s pathetic and childish, no matter how many official ratifications it holds.

    #7 1 year ago
  8. Djoenz

    @7 and 9

    You know nothing about muslims so it seems. All biased crap. Im not even a muslim nor christian, but you guys are blinded by stupidity.

    I respect all religions and met many people in those religions and the fault is with mankind in general not religion itself.

    Too revealing = too slutty and they dont condone. Whats not to understand?

    @9 ->


    #8 1 year ago
  9. SameeR_Fisher

    #10 raises some very good and valid points.

    Truth be told I am surprised a bit, you stated you are not muslim nor christian, yet you defend a muslim culture, and respect other religions, you know people like you are quite rare, the world needs more people like you.

    #9 1 year ago
  10. noamlol2

    the male heroes are usually better

    but that’s some grand bullshit there
    Iran and their retarded censorship of women….

    #10 1 year ago
  11. Lord Gremlin

    Well, Persians are at it again. Somebody, call the Spartans!

    #11 1 year ago
  12. silkvg247

    @11 Yeah the world needs a whole lot more people who use religion as a shield to defend their hatred and prejudice against gender, sexuality and race.

    @10 I am amazed you think you have a valid argument when you just called the female avatars slutty just because you can see some flesh. You just argued yourself out of this thread.

    #12 1 year ago
  13. 00jack00IMP


    I get (and respect) what you’re saying. I just wish their “culture” would get with the times. Vid Games aside, women are treated terribly within their horrible culture.

    #13 1 year ago
  14. DSB

    @10 Respect is not something you’re given, it’s something you earn.

    You don’t get a cookie for being religious, you get a cookie for being a sensible, decent person.

    Entitlement gets you nowhere, and certainly not a free pass on sexism.

    I already answered your question about the outfits. It would take Riot less than a day to fix. I will bet you any amount of money that they still would not be eligible, though.

    #14 1 year ago
  15. Christopher Jack

    @10, It’s the fact that the Muslim beliefs are laws what disturbs us, it’s archaic. Of course they don’t have to gaze upon woman that wear revealing clothing but to make that a punishable law for either side is insane. I couldn’t care less if I offend anyone, as I just mentioned above looking the wrong way can offend people, it’s ridiculous.

    The most irritating part is that just a piece of female flesh is apparently taboo in Muslim ‘society’. I respect their religious beliefs, I don’t respect many of their cultural beliefs but the real issue is how intertwined they are that disrespecting a part of their culture you’re apparently immediately attacking their religious beliefs too.

    #15 1 year ago
  16. Djoenz

    First of all the reason behind Burqa:
    “Detail of the head and upper torso portions of a silk burqa …. A man who sees a woman’s body parts is sexually aroused, and this might cause him to commit sin.”

    Do I agree all women should wear these things? NO.
    Do they however have a point? YES.
    I dont agree but I can respect the thought. Its a bit extreme yes, but just because people dont agree should we judge other people for their beliefs.


    #16 1 year ago
  17. Christopher Jack

    @18, I don’t see how any modern person can respect that. “I might get sexually aroused by looking at your ear so you can’t wear a standard hat because you’re a woman & you are below me, doesn’t matter how much of me you see because I am male & I am superior” It’s sexist, hypocritical, degrading & above all else wrong. If your religious beliefs demand you follow this, whatever, your religion, your choice. But that’s just it, it should be a CHOICE, not a legal requirement.

    #17 1 year ago
  18. SameeR_Fisher

    @14: hatred and prejudice ?!, seriously you don’t know a thing about the people you are talking about or their religion for a matter of fact.

    #18 1 year ago
  19. roadkill

    Well, I get why they are doing this. Some of those characters do look like whores..

    #19 1 year ago
  20. The_Red

    Iran may be known as a muslim country but most of its youth populace is either Athiest or simply doesn’t care about sexist and stupid extremist laws of islamic government.

    #20 1 year ago
  21. silkvg247

    @18 What if a hetero muslim woman sees a man’s flesh on display and is aroused and tempted to commit sin?

    I am baffled that you just don’t see the double standards in all of this.

    Do they have a point? Not sure I can see one.. some humans beings find other human beings attractive and might want to sex them but lets cover up JUST our women and even fabricated pixel women in games? Uh.. sure…

    If their law made any sense it would be if both men and females walked around in dalek attire, until that day you bet your fucking life it’s sexist, and to try to take such horrific ideals and expand them further into the gaming world? FUCK THEM!

    “not judging people for their beliefs” is the same as “excusing people’s terrible behavior towards women because they have a religion”. What if a religion allowed a child to be burned alive if she had her period before the age of 13? Should I respect that belief? What about if a woman didn’t sink in water with rocks around her feet therefore she’s a witch (but dies via the test in the first place)? Respect their belief, right?

    It’s all religion and we should RESPECT it and also let it infiltrate our video game culture so we can take a massive fucking step backwards there too, why not?

    #21 1 year ago
  22. Djoenz

    Mankind is flawed and you generalise instantly. Not all muslims are like that. I know many muslims that adore their wifes. This means I cant judge religion itself cause its what humans do with that knowledge.

    We cant help that people read the teachings the wrong way etc. its the fault of being a human imo.

    Even religious people sin. Like I said no one is perfect. But the foundation does make sense and I have to respect that. Its a shame most women are forced and undermined by men, but those that follow the teachings rightfully are not like this. I can only blame mankind for this.

    I cant conversate with you with such weird arguments.

    For a fact the teachings say you may never hurt or kill another human being.

    #22 1 year ago
  23. deathm00n

    @15 But there you stumbled upon a deeper question I was hoping someone would touch. Culture is something that few countrys can keep in this age. The majority of the world is aligned with the First World Country way of living. I give kudos to the midle-east countrys, who can keep their culture as it always was. Is it wrong to maintain your cultural signature? I don’t think so. See, it’s a shame what we brazilian did to the only natural culture we had here, the native indians who live here already have cellphones and clothes and speak portuguese. Imagine if their culture was the one adopted here, we would be against people wearing any clothes at all, against marriage, against a lot of things, and we would be the ones seen as the “crazy, brutal way of living” people. Are we, with our “fast-food, consumism, money grabbing” culture, better than them? No, there’s better or worst when dealing with culture.

    I don’t know if I expressed my point very well, damn language barrier.

    #23 1 year ago
  24. silkvg247

    @21 Double standards ARE prejudice, again I am pretty much aghast at how you can’t see this.

    @22 Whores – such an awful word and yet it seems most men can’t live without them. Especially the little virgins trolling internet threads who with their current attitude problems would never find a girlfriend in a million years. Unless he bought her or it was an arranged marriage.. all perfectly possible thanks to “religion”(tm).

    @25 History = weird arguments? You must be very young, or very bloody stupid.

    #24 1 year ago
  25. Djoenz

    Its beyond me you cant read your own crap. You are ignorant as fuck.

    As I said the teachings say you may never hurt or kill another human being. Mankind didnt follow the teachings and thus they do terrible things like tht. But its not religion that allows it. Its what mankind does with the information.

    You cant blame the religion. Only mankind.

    #25 1 year ago
  26. Christopher Jack

    @25, But they’re the minority. It’s not so much the religion I have issues with rather the culture it has birthed. I mean just look at the middle east, there are half a dozen progressive countries that are slowly adapting but the majority are still infighting, just look at the global piece index- the bottom 6 are Muslim countries, there’s no coincidence there. No surprise that over half of the bottom 30 are dominated by Muslims.

    #26 1 year ago
  27. silkvg247

    @28 Yeah I’m the ignorant one because I have an open enough mind to think we, as civilized people, should not use religion as an excuse to treat our brothers or sisters any worse than we’d treat ourselves. People like you make me despair for humanity, you are so blinded that you lack the ability to think beyond anything you’ve been taught.

    #27 1 year ago
  28. Djoenz

    Now that was exactly my point. Religion has great valid honorable points which just happened to create toxic cultures, but you can only blame mankind for that and not the teachings itself. I agree with you.

    #28 1 year ago
  29. JamesJohnson

    Rubbish, where is the ruthless Pantheon ban? The Tryndamere ban, the Varus ban, the Sion ban, the Olaf ban, the Aatrox ban, the Urgot ban and the Udyr ban?
    They are plenty of male champions that wear revealing costumes and they are fine apparently. Also Annie players must lower the headset volume so they don’t hear her voice, why is there no male equivalent of that? If it’s because she has a young voice then why do the yordles not have the same restriction?
    I’m sorry but this is misogyny in its most pure form and I’m appalled anybody would try to argue otherwise.

    #29 1 year ago
  30. Djoenz

    You have some points, but I am very openminded in fact. I met many people and I was raised in both religions/cultures. I have experience in them and met many religious people.

    Yet I dont believe in all the magic and adam and eve. Its written by human hands and therefore compromised.

    BUT fact is there are some really solid good points written. 7 sins and 10 commandments for example.

    I agree people sometimes use religion as an excuse to treat our brothers or sisters any worse than we’d treat ourselves. But dont you get my point in what I was saying all along?


    #30 1 year ago
  31. Djoenz

    Da Man actually makes sense. These are freaking polygons.. why do we need these revealing female chars in videogames anyway.

    Its not like you fap over polygons riight?

    #31 1 year ago
  32. Djoenz

    Im off from work now. Gotta go. Its been a blast guys!

    #32 1 year ago
  33. Christopher Jack

    Boring, repetitive middle aged man complaining about people complaining about censorship in videogames on a videogame website.

    #33 1 year ago
  34. Sylrissa

    Religion is no excuse for this kind of treatment, it’s sexist because it only applies to women, if they required men to cover up as well, MAYBE you’d have a leg a stand on.

    #34 1 year ago
  35. Christopher Jack

    Still, complaining about other complainers doesn’t make you as superior as you might think.

    #35 1 year ago
  36. Clupula

    Considering the millions and millions that have been raped, tortured, and murdered in the name of religion throughout the history of mankind, I’m not going to give someone a free pass on something stupid just because their bronze age tome says it’s okay.

    #36 1 year ago
  37. JamesJohnson

    So you’re saying, when people try to parade misogyny and stupidity the best thing to do is to ignore it because any comment against it makes us as bad as them?
    I assume you are joking.

    #37 1 year ago
  38. Clupula

    @43 – I think, in this particular case, he’s simply trying to reason with a troll.

    #38 1 year ago
  39. zinc

    Scantily clad women in Dragons Crown: Outrage!

    Banned scantily clad women in Leagues: Outrage!


    #39 1 year ago
  40. G-Sama

    just to make it clear , in iran it’s not about religion anymore at all ..
    hey , don’t judge :D … in most arabic and islamic countries we have no problem with women , we have our women’s rights and we don’t ban revealing outfits :D (in MOST countries … saudi,iran and maybe UAE are the only exceptions )

    #40 1 year ago
  41. Djoenz

    True G-Sama my turkish family said in Istanbul the women dress more revealing than the turkish ladies in my country Netherlands lol. In Turkey they are more modern than the turkish people in NL. While Netherlands is more tolerant I suppose. People have way too many misconceptions.

    #41 1 year ago
  42. The Dude

    @45 Haha, it’s true isn’t it :)

    #42 1 year ago
  43. Christopher Jack

    @46, I think Turkey is the only exception(that comes to mind) because they’ve removed religion from politics. Although Muslim extremists have shaken the stability of Turkeys foundations.

    #43 1 year ago
  44. monkeygourmet


    You always turn topics like this into:

    “Men being scared of getting beaten by a woman…”, it sounds more and more like you come into an article like this with pre-loaded notions.


    Scratch that!

    I apologuise, I misread one of your comments. :/

    #44 1 year ago
  45. Clupula

    I actually know a few Turkish women who have big problems with Islam. It’s not really an Islamic country, except because of who the ruling party currently is.

    #45 1 year ago
  46. Metro Citizen

    i am iranian. i have to say that about 70% of iranian people dislike their government and also they are secular! iranian government is a islamic dictatorship in a country with secular people. please dont judge iranian old and rich culture by the act of this fool people ruling iran in a dictatorship way. please do some reaserch about iran in wikipedia!

    #46 1 year ago
  47. OriginalAtom


    How is it sexist? Female avatars are allowed just not the ones who are revealing and slutty (and calling the female avatars in this game slutty when they’re running around half-nude is hardly being sexist, it’s stating a fact) according to the latest update.

    This is about nudity. If a culture wants to be more prudish than the west then let them be. Women of the west aren’t how they used to be (lady-like) because of attitudes like these where it’s now acceptable to run and jump around half naked in the streets without having any dignity (and that statement applies to both genders).

    I don’t know much about this game but if it’s anything like all these other online RPG’s with revealing females then I can understand the ban. Sexist? Seriously, it’s mostly men in this tournament correct? Isn’t it sexist that the women in this game are portrayed mostly wearing chainmail bikini armor as though the fact that they have boobs and ass defines them and not their abilities or personalities?

    The games Bioware are producing promote equal rights between genders, sexuality and religion. Games like this aren’t. Games like this are portraying women sexually and nothing more. Give a female knight proper plate armor for God’s sake.

    “League of Legends is not sexist.”

    “League of Legends does not sexualise women.” (Oh look, a heavily armored female knight with her ass showing and wearing high heels!)

    “League of Legends isn’t sexist towards women!”

    So let’s drop it. Iran is being stupid as the avatars in this game are quite far away for people to be drooling over some revealing skin but League of Legends is also sexist for designing its female characters in such a sexualized way. This is a game targeted at a male audience so it’s be expected but you can’t really attack Iran for being sexist and defend LoL at the same time when League of Legends is sexist itself by different standards. How many grown women do you know who strut around in their underwear outside and pout their asses out at you? Yeah, didn’t think so.


    Nope, most of them are religious.

    #47 1 year ago
  48. Christopher Jack

    @52, That is the majority of Western criticisms, not the muslim people but the governments & the extremists.

    #48 1 year ago
  49. monkeygourmet

    Sausage Fest confirmed…

    Or whatever the Iranian equivelent is…?

    Here you go:

    A Port Sausage Fest…

    #49 1 year ago
  50. Hcw87

    Something is severly wrong when women get jailed if they accuse someone of raping them (happened in Dubai).

    Also, when they move into another country with another culture, complaining about the culture there and that they should change.

    Calling it racist when it’s the national day and we’re carrying around our national flag.

    Yeah, fucked up.

    I’m not saying the ENTIRE culture or an ENTIRE people are doing something wrong here, but the people behind these laws and cultures sure needs to change this.

    #50 1 year ago
  51. silkvg247

    @50 Was gonna say, I don’t have any such chips on my shoulder. :p

    #51 1 year ago
  52. Metro Citizen

    @ 56 iranian people are very diffrent from arabs(dubai is city in an arabian country)! arabs are very religious. but iranian are not that kind of religious! you dont know anything about iran exept what you here on the news? please do some reaserch in wikipedia!

    #52 1 year ago
  53. Clupula

    @52 – As an American, I’ve never had a problem with the Iranian people.

    Actually, you Persians have some of the most beautiful women on earth.

    I always look at it like when I lived in London and people would tell me they hated George W. Bush. And I’d just say that I’d tell him that the next time he and I had brunch together.

    Very, very rarely is it the people instead of the government that cause problems like this.

    #53 1 year ago
  54. G-Sama

    @47 & 48
    hmmm, let’s see :
    Lebanon , Aljeree , Morocco , Syria , Jordan , Egypt , Palestine , Sudan , Sumal , Tunisia , Indonesia , Dubai , Libya , Turkey , Bahrain , Kuwit , Iraq …

    there’re over 50 countries that the islam has the lion share of religions in it … and only 3 or 4 that are considered somewhat extremist

    so to say that 10% of the islamic population represents the other 90% is a bit rough .. ALL the islamic countries do allow women’s freedom and there have been women politicians , workers , judges …etc
    also,hijab is optional in those countries minus the 3 or 4 mentioned earlier .. i know because i have friend all over those countries and i’ve been to some , get your facts right :)

    #54 1 year ago
  55. OmegaSlayer

    @Metro Citizen
    I have an Iranian friend.
    Like you say you’re very different from Arabs.
    Religion is a bad thing…any religion.

    #55 1 year ago
  56. AhmedZin

    #56 1 year ago
  57. Braaaaaaaah

    Hi guys , i’m a Tunisian gamer and we don’t have such a restrictions in our country . You know , Tunisian people are muslims but not extremists. The extremists are a minority , Anyway i find that this decision to hide female characters in League Of Legends really stupid.

    #57 1 year ago

Comments are now closed on this article.