The esports industry has been estimated to be worth over $612 million, and with some tournaments putting millions of dollars in prize money on the line, the competitions have become every bit as serious as real sporting events. They have become so serious, in fact, that players and their coaches have previously been caught using all sorts of underhanded tactics like using game exploits, intentionally throwing matches, and even threatening to evict a player’s mother from her home if he quit the team.

Now, professional Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) player Kory “Semphis” Friesen has stated in an interview with Mohan “Launders” Govindasamy that nearly everyone competing at the professional level in the Electronic Sports League (ESL) uses stimulants like Adderall, a type of amphetamine used to treat ADHD.

“The ESL comms were kind of funny in my opinion,” Friesen said, then paused and laughed. “I don’t even care—we were all on Adderall. It was pretty obvious if you listened to the comms. I don’t know. People can hate it or whatever, but tons of people do it.”

When Govindasamy said that everyone at ESEA LAN uses Adderall, Friesen agreed.

“And you can hear it in the comms, right?” Friesen said. “That’s what was so funny to me, like ‘s—t, comms is so hectic.’ So yeah, that might clear up some of the questions of why it was like that.”

There are no explicit rules against Adderall abuse in the ESL, but the rules for the ESL One tournament state that “To play a match, be it online or offline, under the influence of any drugs, alcohol, or other performance enhancers is strictly prohibited, and may be punished with exclusion from the ESL One.”

Other serious players have previously admitted to using stimulants like Adderall to maintain their concentration during long game sessions, including some of the top raiders on World of Warcraft. A leaked thread from the Blood Legion forums gave advice on “Progression Race Food/Health Planning.”

“If you plan on taking Adderall or some sort of amphetamine or amphetamine-derivative at any point, you need to make an extra effort to stay hydrated and properly fed,” the thread stated. It then gave advice on how to safely take Adderall during raids.

Adderall has the potential for serious side effects, and is considered a controlled substance by the Food and Drug Administration.

You can watch the full interview with Friesen below:

photo credit: IMG_0331 via photopin (license)