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The Electronic Sports League has revealed its new anti-doping program, with random saliva tests for ESL event players starting in September.
ESL rep Anna Rozwandowicz detailed its planned testing process onReddit, revealing the policy will debut at the ESL One Cologne Counter-Strike: GO tournament next month.
"ESL One Cologne will only see randomized tests, however we don’t want to exclude the possibility of performing a larger number of tests among all/majority of players at a later stage," Rozwandowicz stated.
"Should the testing policy and method change, we will inform the players accordingly."
ESL will test for the presence of anything on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Prohibited List of substances – the same list used by the Olympics – with plans to refine the scope of the program from there. That includes steroids, amphetamines, as well as natural and synthetic cannabinoids – meaning players won’t be able to use drugs such as Adderall or marijuana during ESL competitions.
The move comes in the controversial wake of a notable Counter-Strike pro admitting totaking Adderall during official competition– implying that his team and other competitors were all taking the drug at multiple eSports events.
