In light of recent events concerning the use of Adderall — a psychostimulant usually used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)  by a well-known North American team during the group stages of the CounterStrike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) tournament at ESL One Katowice in Poland last week, the Electronic Sports League (ESL) will be implementing PED skin tests at their next major event — and all other ESL events thereafter.

The change in policy was triggered after Cory “Semphis” Friesen, professional Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player from North American team, Cloud 9, admitted last week that he and other members of his team used Adderall during ESL’s $250,000 tournament in Poland.

Performance Enchancing Drugs or PEDs have been banned from traditional sporting events on grounds of fair play. Adderall, a medication used to treat ADHD, also increases mental stamina and reaction speed when taken in small doses.

It is currently banned from most major sporting disciplines and is on the watch list of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), an international body that serves as a watchdog for PED use in sporting events most notably the Olympics.

In a statement released by ESL, the league has partnered with the Canada-based organization WADA and the National Anti Doping Agentur (NADA), based in Germany. According to ESL, both agencies will help, “craft an anti-PED policy that is fair, feasible and conclusive while also respecting the privacy of players.”

While Cloud 9 will not be punished nor prosecuted for their use of PEDs at Katowice, officials will be keeping a close eye on their future activities in sanctioned events.

An Open Secret

Now, if you read the title of this article, then you might be wondering to yourself if PED use in eSports is a new development in a growing spectator sport industry.

After all, with prize purses growing yearly for eSports events, it was always a matter of time before individuals capitalized on eSports primarily home-based, over-the-internet, structure and relied on seemingly innocous substances to gain an advantage.

But as early as 2013, organizations such as the International eSports Federation (IeSF) have aligned themselves with WADA to create comprehensive anti-PED policies to curb on drug use for eSports events.

IeSF became an official signatory of WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) in 2013, and recognized by TAFISA (The Association for International Sports for All) in 2014.

In an earlier interview with Alex Lim, General Manager for International Relations with the IeSF back in 2014, he said that PED use for eSports have been a running problem since the early days of the industry, in South Korea.

When IeSF announced the WADA and TAFISA partnerships during the IeSF Asian Championships in Cebu City last year, I asked Lim about the growing need of enforcing anti-PED measures for eSports competitors.

“It’s a real problem that affects players. We’ve seen its effects in Korea,” Lim told me in September of 2014. “eSports is still a competitive activity that uses up a complete range of physiological functions. Any drug or substance that unfairly enhances those functions run counter to the ideals of fair play and competition that any worthwhile activity should embody.”

Partnership. IESF has partnered with Athletics For A Better World, World Anti-Doping Agency and other international bodies to ensure a safer eSports industry for players.

But more than just protecting the spirit of competition, Lim said that anti-doping policies are in place to protect the health of players.

“In Korea, where the eSports industry is more mature, we have organizations in place that give therapeutic alternatives to players who may have legitimate conditions in need of substances that may be associated with PEDs,” described Lim.

“These (organizations) make sure that players understand the very real effects of substance abuse,” he added.

The Philippine eSports Organization (PeSO), an IeSF-partnered organization for eSports in the Philippines, is extending the IeSF’s message here in the country.

Brian Lim, chairman and president of PeSO, said in the same event last September 2014, that the Philippines will work with government agencies and the IeSF to ensure the that players in PeSO-sanctioned events adhere to strict anti-doping guidelines.

“Our goal is to get eSports recognized not only in the Philippines but also in Southeast Asia (SEA) as a legitimate sporting event,” said Brian Lim. “We will be working closely with athletic organizations in the country such as the Philippine Olympic Committee to make sure that our players are clean and properly educated about the use of PEDs.”

Side-effects of drugs such as Adderall and Beta-blockers (drugs whose primary functions serve to block the effects of adrenaline, giving increased stamina and reducing anxiety) include nausea, diarrhea, insomnia and in extreme cases, heart failure.

A Step in the Right Direction

With eSports prize purses climbing ever higher, organizations such as the IeSF and ESL are slowly coming to terms with one of the eSports industries’ open secrets.

As the stakes continue to grow, more and more players have turned to dangerous, performance-altering drugs to edge out the competition.

But more than just creating anti-doping regulations to police this activity, eSports events and organizations can help lower the significant pressure on players and individuals to win at any cost by easing the top-heavy structure of payouts for tournaments.

Currently, most eSports events employ little better than “winnner-take-all” prize payouts. These practices effectively shut out teams with poor performances in one event from sustaining their careers — leading to the temptation using PEDs to survive.

But make no mistake: the use of PEDs to succeed is not absolved by the system in place. For eSports to continue to grow as a bonafide sporting activity and competitive endeavor, the growing pains of drug use and competitive structures must be ironed out. Organizations such as IeSF and ESL acknowledging these issues is a step in the right direction.

Image banner from ESL.

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