ImperialHal demands Adderall to be banned in esports

TSM’s 23-year-old Apex Legends player Philip “ImperialHal” Dosen has called for Adderall to be banned in esports because it’s a drug that keeps players awake, performing, and pushing in games. So basically, it’s like doping.

ImperialHal wants a ban to make things fairer in esports and wants organizations to take a stand on this.

Doping exists in “normal” sports as well as in esports. And with the ever-increasing prize pools, there is also more and more at stake. Teams regularly compete against each other in competitions and fight for six-figure prize money. So it’s no wonder that players and organizations are trying to pull out all the stops to secure the money.

Doping in esports?

There are not only the obvious forms of cheating like match-fixing etc., but there is also doping to improve one’s own performance. Now, American pro gamer ImperialHal has spoken out, arguing that organizers need to do more to ban Adderall because it destroys integrity at tournaments.

In a stream in early February, ImperialHal explained to his viewers how widespread the use of Adderall is in esports. This shocked a lot of people who didn’t know that the drug is widely used to enhance performance. While Adderall is not available in Europe, it can be compared to the prescription drug Ritalin, which is prescribed in Europe if you suffer from ADD/ ADHD, among other things.

ImperialHal calls for end to Adderall

The TSM pro has now gone a step further and called for Adderall to be “banned in Esports” because some players are playing for extremely high sums and gaining an advantage. He believes that the organizers should “take the initiative and create a better competitive environment.”

According to ImperialHal, Adderall is a “mental stimulant,” and has compared it to steroids in physical sports, which are also banned. Adderall is a drug and is prescribed by a doctor, which means it can be difficult to determine who really needs it to focus and who is abusing it as doping.

The player has definitely opened quite a can of worms with the issue, but whether it will really effect change or cause organizers to test players is questionable. Because the drug is prescription and must be taken by certain people, it will be extremely difficult to enforce rules for a complete ban on this substance.

Meanwhile, ESL recently announced that it will start doing doping tests at its CS:GO events again after three years.