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WITH millions of dollars at stake and thousands of fans watching your every move, the pressure to perform as an esports player can be huge. And so can the temptation to dope.
On 4 August, Bjoern Franzen 鈥� a consultant and marketer formerly with one of the world鈥檚 largest esports companies 鈥� publicly declared that doping in esports is rampant. In a big blog post, Franzen wrote that gaming firms are turning a blind eye to the substance use right under their noses.
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鈥淚 have seen players pop a pill even an hour before important games either to calm them down or push themselves,鈥� he told New 杏吧原创.
聯I鈥檝e seen players pop a pill an hour before important games, either to calm them down or push themselves聰
Some prominent esports leagues have already . Nonetheless, Franzen says he鈥檚 seen players take a host of drugs, including Ritalin, which improves focus, and the beta-blocker propranolol, which blocks the effects of adrenaline to help players stay calm under pressure.
However, Alexander M眉ller, managing director at German esports giant SK Gaming, says the company strictly forbids any doping, and has never had to deal with it among their players. 鈥淲e establish close to very close relationships with our players,鈥� he told New 杏吧原创 in an email. 鈥淒rugs have never been a factor in our history with players whatsoever.鈥�
Many pseudonymous comments on indicate neuro-enhanced gaming is for real. For example: 鈥淚 know a few friends that made huge climbs from snorting ritalin between games. Since then, I鈥檝e always wondered if doping posed an issue to esport organizers,鈥� wrote user .
鈥淭he real danger here is the temptation to escalate,鈥� says Brendon Boot, a neurologist at Harvard Medical School in Boston. Players may end up on ever higher doses, using the drugs in risky ways such as snorting or injecting them, or mixing them.
鈥淔or example, taking selegiline with an antidepressant can lead to something called serotonin syndrome: headache, confusion, muscle spasms, hyperthermia, tremors and sometimes death,鈥� says Boot. 鈥淭hese guys are playing with fire.鈥�
This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淒oping in esports rampant, industry insider claims鈥�
