Pro Gamers to be drug tested

Author: Andrew Clark
Published: 7th December 2006

Master Chief says "Drugs are bad kids, stay away!" Bit-tech agrees.

According the Director of The Cyberathlete Professional League, Angel Munoz, the gaming league has has begun the necessary preparations to drug test professional gamers at next year's CPL tournaments.

Although there have been no reports of a professional gamer using drugs to enhance their performance, it is known that drug abuse takes place at the more "public" events such as the BYOC (bring your own computer) LANs.

Illegal drugs such as crystal methamphetamine and even prescription medications like Ritalin are known to increase a users alertness, reflex times and mental concentration. It is for this reason that the CPL has decided to make a drug test an essential part of future events.

Mr Munoz told Tom's Hardware that, "The potential for [drugs] being an issue absolutely concerns me." He continued, "It should concern anybody in eSports, because as the stakes get larger, as in any sport, people will look for an edge."

Although the top-flight professional gaming scene does not appear to have a problem with drug abuse, testing is still considered by many to be the right decision. As competitive gaming strives to become more of a recognised activity it has decided to tackle a problem that occurs in the majority of mainstream sports.

Drug testing in games: a necessary precaution or a step too far? Let us know your thoughts in the forums.