A week before Valentine’s Day, the most prominent couple of the gaming community announced their breakup. Everyone, especially in the Valorant community, immediately felt like children of a divorce. The announcement ended a story that began when they were just 17 years old. However, it wasn’t just the split that sent shock waves through the internet. It was the ending of a nearly four-year engagement. Their audience was expecting a wedding. Not an ending.
And yet, despite the end of their relationship being a private, mutual decision. The internet’s reaction that followed was a public disgrace.
six years, two people
Tyson, aka “TenZ” and Kyedae rose to fame the same way they grew up: together. After meeting in high school, the couple moved in at the young age of 17 before eventually announcing their engagement in 2022. During this time, they both built their careers and livelihoods surrounding the internet.
Tyson, built a legendary name for himself under the name “TenZ” during his time as a competitive player. From 2020, he began gaining international recognition for his incredible individual performances as a Valorant pro gamer. Known for his precise aim and high-impact roles, his most notable achievements include being a two-time VCT Masters winner in 2021 and 2024. He secured both championships while representing Sentinels, a premier Los Angeles-based organization. He eventually announced his retirement from competitive play in September of 2024 with a 1.22 career K/D. Now, with his focus on content creation, he has amassed over 4.5 million followers with an average of 9,500 concurrent viewers on his Twitch.
Kyedae Shymko, known best by her first name, built her platform alongside TenZ in late 2020. As one of the most prominent women in streaming, she proved to be safe space for young girls within the community. Through her authentic streams and engaging collaborations, she became a top female content creator before eventually signing with 100 Thieves, an esports organization also based in Los Angeles, in 2021. However, her success did not come without struggle. In March of 2023, she announced her diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive blood cancer that resulted in chemotherapy. Despite her confirmation of no longer receiving chemo, she has been away from the streaming community since April of 2025. Citing personal complications and changing priorities, her viewers have missed her consistent presence on the platform.
the response
Despite the couple’s clear reasoning towards the split, a large portion of their audiences immediately began speculating. In search of a villain within the story, much of the male-dominated audience turned to Kyedae.
It is important to note that although the gaming population has grown significantly, it is still heavily male-dominated in terms of industry representation and participation. Therefore, it wasn’t a surprise for many women when the narrative began to shift against them.
Within hours, false narratives took over Reddit and X. The baseless rumors ranged from accusing Kyedae of “leaching” off TenZ’s fame, cheating allegations, and claiming TenZ had sacrificed his professional career for her battle with cancer. Stories displaying him as a tragic hero and being the result of a “simp” spun across platforms overnight. As a result, TenZ has since defended his ex-fiancée multiple times in an attempt to address the baseless accusations.
beyond the server
Unfortunately, these responses weren’t shocking. If anything, they were representative of a larger issue.
The allegations surrounding Kyedae are products of deeply-rooted misogyny. The reduction of her being characterized as a leech, a traitor, and a distraction showcases how quickly the gaming world weaponized the announcement. Although disheartening, this was one instance of many previous ones.
Just this last year, Razer, a popular gaming brand, posted an ad that received a significant amount of backlash for its misogynistic display.
For a company that had previously tailored products toward women, advertised to women, and sold well among women, many felt that it was both cruel and uncalled for. But more importantly, it highlighted a continued struggle of the relationship between women and gaming. Beyond the controversy, the response to both the ad and relationship between Kyedae and TenZ raised questions of a larger, structural conversation.
They were a story of two young individuals, growing apart from their first and only loves. Instead, it showcased the misogyny heavily rooted and present within a community they helped build.