A source close to the ESL says the organisation is looking to introduce drug testing after a recent interview by an Esports player which suggested a number of players are using the drug Adderall before matches.
The source spoke with the Daily Dot and asserted that the ESL is currently working with the World Anti-Doping Agency and National Anti Doping Agency to get urine-based drug testing off the ground.
“PEDs [performance enhancing drugs] is a topic we are discussing at an organizational level and we will need to address industry wide moving forward to maintain competitive integrity,” read a statement from the ESL in reply to the Daily Dot’s report. “We know we have to have a bigger discussion about it and that it’s a problem everyone is facing.”
When the site contacted US-based Esports body Major League Gaming, it stated WADA’s standards on drug use are part of company policy, but it has never tested participants for drug use.
Speaking with Wired, the ESL’s Anna Rozwandowicz said the organisation acted immediately after Counter-Strike player Kory ‘Semphis’ Friesen admitted to using Adderall.
“We focused immediately on kickstarting a policy-making process and adjusting the rules,” Rozwandowicz said. “We have worked on changes in our rules, reached out to authorities for support, and will be ready to announce our next steps in a couple of days.”
We’ll keep you informed at this matter progresses.
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