Vader, a trans-identifying male streamer, just took home $78,000 after winning the Milk Cup.
PublishedOctober 19, 2025 4:40 PM EDT•UpdatedOctober 19, 2025 3:55 PM EDT
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The Milk Cup was supposed to be a space for women.
The tournament was created, according to its own mission statement, “to provide women with more opportunities to succeed in esports” and as “a platform for women on a journey toward professional esports.”
But after this weekend’s Milk Cup 2025 LAN Championship at TwitchCon San Diego, it’s clear the Milk Cup is no longer just for women.
You already know where this is going.
A trans-identifying male streamer known as “Vader” took home the win — and the $78,000 prize — alongside female partner Nina ‘ilyynina’ Fernandez in Fortnite’s largest women-only tournament.
As if traditional sports weren’t enough, men are taking over women’s esports, too.
After the win, Vader told Esports Insider, “It felt crazy to lift that trophy… to prove people wrong in a sense, and really show that anybody can participate in esports. Don’t let people stop you. Don’t let comments get to your head. Believe in yourself.”
Yes, anybody can participate in esports. Yet Vader chose to enter a tournament designed specifically for women.
There’s a reason why the Milk Cup exists. In the gaming world, women make up nearly half of all players but barely a fraction of the professional talent pool. So the Milk Cup was created to give women a real shot in a space historically dominated by men — with elite broadcast quality, serious money on the line, and an environment free from the online harassment they often face elsewhere in the gaming world.
Now, that space has been hijacked by a male competitor.
Is there a biological edge here like there is in traditional sports? Maybe. Studies have shown that men tend to have faster reaction times than women, with a difference of around 34 milliseconds on average.
But that’s not even the point. The point is that the Milk Cup was created as an opportunity for women. And once again, a man just took the top spot.
Vader bragged about the win on X after the championship, touting the $78,000 prize. And Vader’s feed is full of similar flexes — screenshots of cash earnings from previous tournaments, captioned with dollar signs and trophy emojis.
It’s hard enough for women to gain visibility, sponsors and professional traction in esports. The Milk Cup was supposed to change that. Instead, it’s become another cautionary tale of what happens when men’s entitlement eclipses women’s opportunity.
