Call of Duty professionals are speaking out after Cuyler “Huke” Garland admitted to using Adderall for a competitive edge in a video posted to YouTube on June 9.
Huke released a video detailing his story throughout his time as a professional Call of Duty player. The video followed weeks of rumors being spread throughout the Call of Duty community after Huke was removed from the Dallas Empire following the team’s victory during the inaugural season of the CDL’s championship.
“I won Champs and basically I didn’t feel good on the inside,” explained Huke. “I was very grateful for winning. It showed that we worked hard and got the win and I felt good about that. But those couple days afterward, I didn’t feel good, and it was mainly because of one thing… I, at the time, was taking Adderall.”
Huke continued, explaining that he first started taking Adderall on and off when he was eighteen and nineteen. While he did not get into the specifics, he alluded that Adderall “wasn’t doing anything good” for him. Huke compared his win at 2020 Champs to his first victory in esports when he was sixteen years old and sober. He said the win while taking Adderall was not the same as the indescribable feeling he had the first time around. His biggest realization was that Adderall was making him play out of anger instead of joy or love for the game.
Call of Duty pros speak out about Adderall abuse
After Huke’s video speaking about his experience with Adderall went live, other professional players within the CDL began speaking out. Paris Legion’s Ulysses “AquA” Silva was the most vocal on Twitter. In a tweet that was later deleted, AquA responded to Huke’s tweet of the video link and revealed he was over a year clean from drugs.
AquA extended advice to the millions of potentially impressionable players that they do not need drug enhancers to be good at the game.
Austin “SlasheR” Liddicoat, a current teammate of Huke’s on LA Thieves, also spoke about the use of Adderall in the scene. SlasheR has been playing CoD professionally since 2013 and has had his fair share of ups and downs. He said he was glad Cuyler [Huke] spoke on the matter and wished he could have played against players when they were sober. According to current pros in the CoD scene, there appears to be an Adderall problem that has not directly been addressed by the CDL at the time of publication.
I’ve been calling for something to be done since 2013.. All natural brotha wish I coulda played against some of these ppl sober. They probably would be visually shaking on stage lol tbh glad Cuyler spoke on it
— SlasheR (@SlasheR_AL) June 9, 2021
The CDL handbook has an entire section dedicated to the use of alcohol and drugs. This passage specifically states:
“The unauthorized use, possession, distribution or sale of prescription drugs by a Participant is prohibited. Prescription drugs may be used only by the person to whom they are prescribed and in the manner, combination and quantity as prescribed. Prescription drugs may only be used to treat the condition for which they are prescribed and may not be used to enhance performance in a game, match or tournament.”
If you or someone you know has been affected by substance abuse, you can speak to someone by calling the drug addiction hotline at 866-552-0665
