A professional player in Call of Duty played well and was considered the best player on his team. Nevertheless, he was replaced after the match: In a post-game interview, he appeared so fidgety that rumors arose that he had taken drugs. Critics on social media accuse him of abusing the stimulant Adderall.
This is the pro:
- The 20-year-old Canadian Indervir “iLLeY” Dhaliwal has been playing Call of Duty professionally since 2017. He earned his first prize money at the age of 15.
- He had his biggest success with Dallas Empire, where he won the Call of Duty League Championship and a prize of $300,000 in 2020 at the age of 18. Overall, he has earned nearly $670,000 in prize money (via esportearnings).
- He has been with his current team, Seattle Surge, since October 2023.
Pro appears fidgety and restless in interview
That was his appearance: The 20-year-old is playing a major event, the Call of Duty League 2024 – Major 1, with Seattle Surge. As reported by the US site Dexerto , he played better than expected. His team finished the tournament in 5th-6th place on January 28, earning $15,000 in prize money.
However, the problem was a post-match interview: In the 34-second interview he appeared fidgety and restless. He kept looking at the ground, stumbled over his words, fidgeted, and was booed by fans during his responses.
Additionally, a clip surfaced showing him during the match involuntarily twitching, appearing almost paranoid.
This was the discussion: The interview went viral on Twitter and many speculated that there could have been drug abuse or perhaps the use of other substances.
Player says: Caffeine – Critics say: Adderall
This is what the player says: He denies the allegations. He stated on January 29 that he had only consumed a lot of caffeine and that the crowd was so loud that he couldn’t concentrate.
But the statement was not believed on Twitter:
Caffeine doesn’t make you twitch like that. Not even Adderall does that, unless you take a “ridiculous amount”; which he apparently did, one Twitter user accused him.
Others came to his defense: Too much caffeine can make you appear fidgety. Add to that the pressure of speaking in public.
At MeinMMO, our expertise is in video games, not in pharmacy. For more information about Adderall, you should consult a medical professional you trust.
This is the result now: His team Seattle Surge announced a new player on February 9 (via twitter). It is assumed that he will replace iLLeY.
Officially, he is still under contract, but there are now credible reports, as Dexerto knows, that the 20-year-old will not return to Seattle Surge.
In the comments, users wish the CoD pro good luck and that he gets better soon. It certainly wasn’t due to his gameplay.
This is what lies beneath: “Adderall” abuse among shooters, on Twitch or in e-sports is something that has been simmering beneath the surface for years and occasionally comes up in reports, but is not often talked about.
There is a story about Twitch streamer Sodapoppin, who consumed so much Adderall that he spent a stream reorganizing his desktop icons.
We do not want to accuse the CoD pro of anything here. But the situation can only be understood if one is aware of how present the topic of Adderall abuse is in the shooter community, especially in Call of Duty:
A former CoD pro speaks out: the eSports scene is addicted to Adderall
