eSports leagues to combat use of performance enhancing drugs by teams

The use of performance enhancing drugs by eSports teams has been brought sharply into focus this week following an admission by 26-year-old Kory “Semphis” Friesen that he and his Cloud9 team mates used the prescription drug Adderall during an E.S.L. tournament for the shooter game Counter-Strike.

Friesen, a Canadian professional eSports player, originally made the admission in a media interview earlier this month which subsequently went up on Youtube, and this week he confirmed his statements when approached by media following up on the story.

He claimed that other professional players also took the drug to enhance their ability to focus during highly competitive games against other teams.

Friesen has since departed the Cloud9 team, but owner Jack Etienne has emphasised that he does not agree with Friesen’s statements, and certainly does not condone the use of Adderall unless prescribed for genuine medical treatment.

He says that Cloud9 team members are prepared to undergo testing for drugs should tournament organisers or the leagues demand this.

Reacting to the Friesen firestorm, one of the largest eSports leagues – the Electronic Sports League – said on Wednesday that it would test players for performance-enhancing drugs starting at a tournament in August.

E.S.L. said it would work with two international agencies – the same ones that help oversee anti-doping policies for cycling, the Olympics and other sports – to create anti-doping guidelines and a testing program for players.

“We want to create a level playing field for all competitors and maintain the integrity of the sport,” said James Lampkin, vice president of professional gaming at E.S.L., pointing out that the league has a general prohibition against the use of drugs.

However, media reports have claimed the ban is not drug-specific and has not previously been effectively policed or supported with an active testing program.

Lampkin observed that the whole industry may have to switch from online competitions to predominately live, in-person games, opining: “A lot of this is going to affect the nature of the entire industry.”

A spokesman for another eSports league, Bruce Dugan of Major League Gaming, said that the use of performance enhancing drugs by teams was expressly forbidden, but admitted that the league has never conducted drug tests of its players.

“Now that a lot of attention is being paid, it’s something we’ll look at for the 2016 season,” he said.

Hector Rodriguez, owner of eSports team OpTic Gaming, commented:

“The more e-sports grows, the more it is going to be sanctioned by a governing body, and it was only a matter of time before this was part of it. We’re becoming an actual sport, so that’s why I welcome it. It’s an indication of growth.”

Meanwhile, eSport sector observers have commented that the industry is quickly evolving into a mainstream form of competitive sport entertainment.

They point to independent research estimates that overall revenue this year from the global eSports business is expected to surpass $250 million from more than 113 million e-sports fans worldwide, with prize money for competitions topping $71 million, presenting new temptations to young competitive players.

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