Adam “Killa” Sloss, a former professional Call of Duty player, has highlighted the abuse of the drug Adderall in a conversation. He claims that many of his colleagues in the eSports scene of first-person shooters are addicted to it.
What is it about? “Killa” was a successful CoD professional and had many achievements. However, in 2019 he retired from the eSports business. In a conversation with the Washington Post, he has now spoken about the drug Adderall and its abuse in eSports.
What is Adderall? The medication is actually prescribed to patients with ADHD. It works similarly to Ritalin. Adderall is intended to enhance concentration and performance.
In eSports, it is allegedly used by professionals to be able to play longer. The Fortnite professional MellowMajik told the Washington Post: “Usually, I’m exhausted, tired, and lose motivation after a few hours. With Adderall, I can play better for up to 12 hours than ever before.”
“No one talks about it because everyone is on it”
This is what Killa says: The professional states that Adderall is ubiquitous in the eSports scene. He himself has witnessed it multiple times. It is a very big problem in the CoD scene. The issue is just never addressed because many people are addicted to it themselves. He says, “No one talks about it because everyone is on it.”
Killa addresses the downsides of Adderall. The medication has not only benefits.
“Many of these kids hear that some of the best players in the world take Adderall. They either want to experiment and see if it helps, or just do what is necessary to be the best. People are destroying their lives and their futures. There is no limit… one day we will see someone have a heart attack or something else serious happen.”
Killa in the Washington Post
This is what Killa says about his retirement: The former professional, who retired from eSports in early 2019, cited Adderall abuse as one of the reasons he stopped being a professional. He stated, “The Adderall abuse was too much to keep up with.”
What do other professionals say about it? The Washington Post has compiled statements from other professionals who have spoken about Adderall in recent years. There are confirmations that abuse is prevalent not only in the CoD scene.
- Timo “Taimou” Kettunen mentioned that “around 20 players” in the Overwatch League rely on the drug.
- Jimmy “HighDistortion” Moreno says that “the Gears of War community has over half of its players using it.”
- In a YouTube video, Kory “Semphis” Friesen confessed that he and his team took Adderall in a Counter-Strike tournament.
By Overwatch, Adderall was already a major issue in 2018. There, Taimou already spoke out about the abuse.
How is the league responding to it? After Semphis and his team admitted to the abuse in a Counter-Strike tournament, the CSGO league took action against the use of Adderall. There are now drug tests before tournaments. They do not want to see Adderall at tournaments anymore.
The Esports Integrity Coalition (ESIC) admitted that the incident in Counter-Strike was not an isolated case. Other eSports-related games do not conduct such tests.
Does Adderall really make players that strong? Not all professionals are convinced of the effectiveness of Adderall. The Counter-Strike player Emma “Emy” Choe believes that Adderall does not automatically lead to huge success.
She believes that one may even incur disadvantages with the drug: “You focus too much on one aspect of the game and forget other crucial factors like communication.”
The Fortnite professional MellowMajik emphasizes the drug’s effect, but also adds: “The drug can only have a limited effect on your gameplay… it is not some magic pill that makes you outstanding in a game right away. You still need the skills to compete.”
The Washington Post also cites the physician Maria St. Pierre. She warns:
- Physically, Adderall acts similarly to taking speed or meth.
- Psycho-logically, Adderall is not only a highly addictive drug but can also lead to psychoses and paranoia.
St. Pierre believes that Adderall should be banned from eSports just as steroids are banned from traditional sports. Those who take Adderall have an unfair advantage over those who do not.
A streamer has proven that you can set long streaming records even without Adderall:
