eSports League Promises To Police Drug Use

[Fanghawk]

eSports League Promises To Police Drug Use

The Electronic Sports League will start policing use of adderall and other performance-enchancing drugs in eSports following a recent scandal.

It should be staggeringly clear now <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/no-right-answer/10072-Is-Pro-Gaming-A-Sport>that professional gaming is like any other sport, even to the point of <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/135577-Its-Possible-to-Earn-Scholarships-for-Playing-League-of-Legends>paying scholarships to athletes. But like any legitimate sport, we must accept the good with the bad - which means dealing with drug scandals and testing. After a professional Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player admitted his entire team used Adderall during a competition, the Electronic Sports League is about to begin policing performance-enhancing drug use.

During an interview last week, Cory "Semphis" Friesen of Cloud9 stated that his entire team used Adderall while playing at ESEA events. For those not in the know, Adderall is a drug used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) but can be abused for anyone trying to stay focused for long periods of time. Friesen even implied that such drug use is widespread among athletes, <a href=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-04-08-winners-might-use-drugs>although exact figures are unclear.

While the ESL rulebook prohibits the use of performance-enhancing drugs, players weren't previously tested for them. ESL Head of Communications Anna Rozwandowicz has stated that will change, telling Motherboard the league has "taken steps to move forward with drugs policing, education, and prevention among participants of [its] competitions". ESL will be putting forward details with a new policy in the near future.

As for Friesen and Cloud9, the ESL won't penalize them at this time. "We have no way of knowing whether Semphis, despite what he said, has actually taken Adderall or not," Rozwandowicz explained. "We can't punish someone if we are not 100 percent sure he is guilty. And as we have no way to test it anymore (we're four months after the event), we won't take action in this specific case." That said, it's pretty much a guarantee Cloud9 will be among the first tested if it participates in future events.

Source: <a href=http://motherboard.vice.com/read/after-adderall-scandal-esports-company-will-police-performance-enhancing-drugs>Motherboard, via <a href=http://www.engadget.com/2015/07/23/esports-league-drug-testing/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Engadget&%3Fncid=rss_full>Engadget

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[Albino Boo]

Hmm I think the ESL needs to look up the word confession.

 

[Fanghawk]

Hmm I think the ESL needs to look up the word confession.

Except it's been four months, and they'd have no proof outside of his word. If he changed his mind after this release and was all "LOL I was kidding it was a big joke" it couldn't be objectively proven.

I'm also assuming they wouldn't have a mechanism for revoking any awarded prizes.

 

[Objectable]

Esports has finally achieved the status of Real Sports.
Filled with drugged up bullies.

 

[Leonardo Huizar]

Esports has finally achieved the status of Real Sports.
Filled with drugged up bullies.

Next its the throwing of matches & intimidation by 3rd party drama

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Did...did they just refer to professional gamers as athletes? That thought alone shall amuse me for a while.
Sounds like these guys want to take all the fun outta gaming. What about caffiene? Painkillers? Mescaline? A bout of self axphixiation just before a match? Surely at least some poppers?? President killjoy McSpoilsport alert!

 

[fix-the-spade]

Did...did they just refer to professional gamers as athletes? That thought alone shall amuse me for a while.

Well, if curlers and darts players get to call themselves athletes, so do gamers. They're the liberal arts students of athletes, but it still counts.

 

[Baresark]

It makes sense. Anything that can be used for a "study aid" and is also prescription only should be tested for. Either everyone uses it or no one uses it, that is the only way to keep it honest.

Now, speaking of honesty, can people please stop referring it as a sport. I would amend the first line to "It should be staggeringly clear now that professional gaming is like any other competition..."

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

Esports has finally achieved the status of Real Sports.
Filled with drugged up bullies.

Next its the throwing of matches & intimidation by 3rd party drama

You forgot payoffs to take a dive or narrow the point spread. Bribing officials to penalize one team more than the other, stuff like that.

 

[Erttheking]

Drugs being used in counter-strike? What the fuck is going on in the world right now?

 

[ArcaneGamer]

Esports has finally achieved the status of Real Sports.
Filled with drugged up bullies.

Next its the throwing of matches & intimidation by 3rd party drama

You forgot payoffs to take a dive or narrow the point spread. Bribing officials to penalize one team more than the other, stuff like that.

What is your avatar, dude?!

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

Esports has finally achieved the status of Real Sports.
Filled with drugged up bullies.

Next its the throwing of matches & intimidation by 3rd party drama

You forgot payoffs to take a dive or narrow the point spread. Bribing officials to penalize one team more than the other, stuff like that.

What is your avatar, dude?!

Azreal the cat from Smurfs in Azreal from Batman's comic book gear.

 

[Scarim Coral]

I guessing they won't have tiny weiner from using it but in saying so how would they test if they had taken the drug, the usual urinal testing?

 

[Sniper Team 4]

Not going to lie, I'm actually kind of shocked at this. I had no idea that you could take drugs that help you play games. Of course, my knowledge of drugs doesn't go beyond, "Don't do them" so my experience isn't all that deep. Guess I shouldn't be surprised, but wow...disappointing, really.

 

[RicoADF]

Exhibit A of why having esports is a bloody stupid idea. We already have enough. That said if it were me 'professional' sports would be banned. Adding money into the mix always causes issues and kill the fun and point of such competitions.

 

[QuadFish]

Exhibit A of why having esports is a bloody stupid idea. We already have enough. That said if it were me 'professional' sports would be banned. Adding money into the mix always causes issues and kill the fun and point of such competitions.

You're saying the existence of sports as an industry is bad? Without that industry athletes as we know them wouldn't exist, because it's impossible to maintain their insane practice and exercise regimes without any financial backing or support that the industry gives them. Same with eSports. The top names in CS, Dota or SC2 only got there by playing and analysing their plays for 8+ hours a day. Those guys would have regular day jobs, no publicity and be much less game talented as a result without an industry to back them.

 

[StatusNil]

"For those not in the know, Adderall is a drug used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) but can be abused for anyone trying to stay focused for long periods of time."

Indeed, and an even clearer way of putting it would be that Adderall is amphetamines, including popular favorite amphetamine sulphate. So it's more of a recreational drug that can be used to treat ADHD. It's probably a good idea to regulate these things, so that you won't have to be literally on speed to be competitive. The training regimen for professional eSport "athletes" already sounds unhealthy enough.

 

[major_chaos]

Not going to lie, I'm actually kind of shocked at this. I had no idea that you could take drugs that help you play games.

There really isn't, and is what makes this disturbing to me. A few years ago I went through a period of reckless indulgence and did a lot of stupid things. Adderall doesn't give you super reflexes or unnatural focus, it mostly just lets you stay awake for long periods of time with almost no loss of energy or focus, potentially for days at a time with repeated doses. So the question is; what kind of horrible self-destructive schedule are these guys putting themselves through that requires that kinda of sleep loss? I don't really care much about these people, but it would still be kinda horrible on a basic empathy level not to mention bad for the reputation of Esports to see players sacrificing their health to remain competitive.

 

[King_Julian]

There really isn't, and is what makes this disturbing to me. A few years ago I went through a period of reckless indulgence and did a lot of stupid things. Adderall doesn't give you super reflexes or unnatural focus, it mostly just lets you stay awake for long periods of time with almost no loss of energy or focus, potentially for days at a time with repeated doses.

That for me would qualify as a drug which helps you play games. only reason i stop playing is when i get tired or cant focus enough.


nah really though that is messed up that they feel the need to cheat to get a better chance at winning and just shows what happens when money is at stake. I would love to be good enough to be playing competitively like these people.....who knows, maybe some day.

 

[Coruptin]

Jesus Christ, and people think I'm crazy when I say e-sports and competitive gaming is killing gaming.
Seriously, name one sport that's considered an art. (In the real way not the, oh he's so great he's a foot ball artist bullshit way.)
Name one medium of art that's considered a sport.
Gaming can't grow if we hold onto childish delusions. I would loath to see the day when e-sports fans riot on the streets like a bunch of idiots because their favorite player/team lost/won.