Key eSports group to create policy on PEDs

The world's largest eSports organization will implement a policy targeting performance-enhancing drugs after a player admitted to using them during a recent tournament.

In a statement released Thursday, the ESL announced it will work with the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) based in Germany to create a "fair" policy preventing the use of PEDs.

"The growing visibility and popularity of eSports, as well as increasing prize pools make it not only more tempting for teams and players to break the rules, but also more damaging to our sport as a whole when they do," reads the ESL's statement.

ESL says it will start testing players next month at the ESL One event in Cologne, Germany. The organization says once the policy is created, the goal will be to test players before all events including the Intel Extreme Masters and ESL leagues.

"ESL has an ongoing commitment to safeguarding the integrity of our competitions and providing a fair playground for professional players," said the group in their statement.

The move was sparked by a YouTube interview with Kory "Semphis" Friesen during the Electronic Sports World Cup (ESWC). Friesen and his team, Cloud9, competed in the ESWC playing team-based first-person shooter Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

At the 7:30 mark, Friesen mentions how he and members of Cloud9 "were all on Adderall" during the tournament. "It was pretty obvious if you listened to the comms," he says. Friesen also confirmed that many players use Adderall -- a stimulant normally used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) -- while participating in ESEA events.

Anna Rozwandowicz, head of communications at ESL, says Friesen will not be punished for the incident. "We have no way of knowing whether he's telling the truth or not, and we can't test him anymore and thus be 100% sure that he's telling the truth."

ESL says it will also work with the World Anti-Doping Agency to help create and enforce the policy worldwide. The agency says it will also create a PED prevention program to distribute to all participating players. "The goal of this program is to ensure players are provided with information and structural support to help them manage the physical and emotional pressure that the highest level of competitive gaming puts on many of them."

Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.