As computers, games, and the internet have increased in popularity, so has something known as esports. Many teenagers use computers to battle each other in many different video games. Some rather popular games are League of Legends, DOTA 2, Halo, Starcraft II, and Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO). There are professionals and semi professionals that participate in leagues for money.
As the popularity of esports rises and the tournament winnings reach into tens of millions, there is a lot at stake. There are people receiving scholarships for their ability to play a video game. When practice isn’t enough, what do these esports professionals shoot for?
A person using anabolic steroids can be bulky and recover faster. That’s why many baseball players and other athletes use steroids. Many gamers use Adderall, a drug for ADHD. It’s common for university students to use Adderall to stay up all night to study or party. It gives them heightened focus but also makes it so they can’t fall asleep.
First-person shooters and Adderall
Recently, esports have suffered from people using performance enhancing drugs. The biggest case of esports doping occurred in 2015 in Katowice, Poland. The event was for the Electronic Sports League (ESL). The former decision maker, “SEMPHIS,” of the popular esports team Cloud9, opened up about using Adderall. This was only for a $250,000 prize, not even a multi-million dollar prize.
The ESL has published a list of substances that will be tested for in the future. The league is working with the World Anti-Doping Agency to find drugs that should be tested for. Some drugs are:
- Marijuana
- Cocaine
- Adderall
- Steroids
You can see the whole list on their website.
Esports careers are frequently very short, especially since it’s so new. New and better players are always arriving on the scene and taking away old job. When it comes to something like basketball or baseball, athletes can play at a high level until their 30s. People in esports only last a few years and the pay isn’t high enough to last the rest of someone’s life. That’s why they need to make as much as they can in a few short years.
There are many esports and the rules are changing because many of these leagues are very new. There are updates to esports games quite frequently. This can make some players obsolete. Nothing like this happens in regular sports. That’s why people are so competitive and go to great lengths to win.
