In an interview on the Launders CStrike YouTube channel, a professional Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player Kory “Semphis” Friesen admitted to taking Adderall, a psychostimulant that is commonly prescribed by doctors to patients suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy, during the ESL One Katowice tournament in Katowice, Poland this past March, claiming his entire team, Cloud9, were also under the effects as well.
“The ESL comms were kind of funny in my opinion [laughs],” Friesen said. “I don't even care. We were all on Adderall. Like, I don't even give a fuck. It was pretty obvious if you listen to the comms. People can hate it or whatever.”
You can watch the full interview below. The above quote occurs at the 7:44 mark.
The “comms” to which he is referring are the “Point of View” streams from ESL One that allow viewers to listen in on the team chatter during tournament play.
Since the tournament in Katowice, Friesen was removed from the Cloud9 CS: GO team roster along with fellow teammate Shahzeb “ShahZaM” Khan. At the time, founder of Cloud9 Jack Etienne wrote in a public statement:
“Kory ’Semphis’ Friesen is a player and friend who has seen success and failure while on this lineup. A player that truly has a deep understanding of the game. We have made the necessary and painful call to release Semphis from the active lineup. We have nothing but the best things to say about Kory as a player, but as the evolution of this game rolls on and we move deeper into 2015, it is very apparent that the lineup we have now is simply not one of a functioning successful capacity.”
Friesen has since gone on to join Nihilum Gaming. At the time, Nihilum Gaming said in a statement: “Nihilum Gaming is proud to announce the signing of Kory ‘Semphis’ Friesen, formerly of Cloud 9, to its Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team roster. In addition we're happy to report that it was an amicable process without any issues for all parties involved to ultimately amount to a smooth transaction.”
According to ESL One tournament rules, “To play a match, be it online or offline, under the influence of any drugs, alcohol, or other performance enhancers is strictly prohibited, and may be punished with exclusion from the ESL One.”
We have reached out to Cloud9 and ESL One for comment and will update this article if we hear back from them.
