ESL Testing eSports Players For Drug Usage

Gaming is a big market, and with games like League of Legends, Counter-Strike, Smite and Dota offering hundreds of thousands in prizes the competition heats up every year with each competition. As with all competitions, people use every chance to get ahead and sometimes these methods are seen as morally bad.

The Electronics Sports League (ESL) are hoping to combat one of the most popular methods for getting ahead in competitive sports, the use of drugs. Pairing up with the National Anti Doping Agentur (NADA) ESL hope to create rules that will enforce an anti-PED (performance enhancing drug) that will allow competitive gaming to continue without being drawn into an area other sports are often resistant to discuss. Hoping to also meet the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), they hope to enforce the ruling and prevent any performance enhancing drugs being used in any area of competitive gaming.

The reason for the sudden and swift response comes after professional Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player, Kory ‘Semphis’ Friesen who stated that not only did he use Adderall, but that other players were using the stimulant, often used to treat ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).

Personally I think this can only be a step in the right direction, taking anything that may help or hinder your performance for something which is meant to be for fun and a little challenge not only ruin the spirit of the games but also the reputation of those who hold such events.

Thank you Polygon for providing us with this information

Image courtesy of ESWC’s Interview with Semphis