Pro gamer drug abuse rampant, admits WCG director

Is everyone on dope?

In an interview with Australian gaming site Gameplayer, Australian World Cyber Games Tournament director Alex Walker acknowledged that the use of illicit drugs by pro gamers is commonplace, even admitting to witnessing abuse firsthand.

"In one WCG, a player I knew took amphetamines an hour before his match to boost his reflexes," he told Gameplayer. "His team ended up losing the match, although it certainly had an impact - his performance helped his team to win one map out of three..."

Considering that real money is at stake, that's no laughing matter. The World Cyber Games is one of the industry's biggest pro gaming exhibitions; last year's event in Seattle, Washington featured 700 participants from 75 countries fragging it out for about $450,000 in prize money.

Due to the lengthy nature of gaming tournaments, Walker doesn't believe most pro gamers could sustain a high through the entire process -- although that could also explain why stimulants like amphetamines would be the drug of choice.

"Most of these tournaments go on for ages. There are plenty that run overtime or get ground to a halt because of computer problems or Internet issues. The amount of stamina required to make it through a major tournament would surprise most people," he said.

Unfortunately, Walker doesn't think the issue will get resolved any time soon, citing a lack of funds and exposure.

"Nobody has the budget to bring in any form of anti-doping agency, let alone keep it afloat or professional enough to adhere to standards that would make it reliable," he said. "Drugs simply aren't on the radar, because there are so many other pressing issues to deal with...Most major events rely on sponsors for capital and until these events become self-sustainable for the most part you're not going to see people getting tested for dope or speed."

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