Sports Tech Startup News

Enhanced Games: A New Kind of Competition Where Doping Is the Point

• ByStartupStory     |    October 16, 2025

A radically different multi-sport event called the Enhanced Games is stirring global debate. Slated to debut in Las Vegas in May 2026, this competition’s core premise is that athletes will be allowed, under certain medical protocols and supervision, to use substances normally banned in Olympic-style sports — all in the name of testing human limits.

What They’re Proposing

• Founded by entrepreneur Aron D’Souza, the Enhanced Games aims to operate outside the regulations of traditional bodies like the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), embracing the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) rather than prohibiting them.

• The planned sports include athletics, swimming, and weightlifting. Events will feature sprint and freestyle races among others. There are proposals for categories based on chromosomal sex.

• Athletes may receive substantial financial incentives. For example, prize money is expected to include a large bonus (in the order of one million dollars) for breaking a recognised record.

• The organisers emphasise that use of PEDs will come with medical oversight: monitoring of health biomarkers, ethical review, and a performance enhancement protocol that seeks to ensure safety.

Why It’s Sparked Strong Reactions

• WADA and other anti-doping agencies have strongly condemned the idea, calling it irresponsible and dangerous. They warn that legitimising PED use could pose serious health risks and could undermine the integrity of established competitive sports.

• World Aquatics has introduced rules to penalise athletes, coaches, or officials who support or engage in events that permit banned substances. The concern is not just medical or ethical, but reputational: sports governing bodies feel that normalising doping threatens their credibility.

• Critics argue that even with “medical supervision,” giving athletes permission to dope under any circumstances opens the door to abuse, long-term harm, and unfair comparisons.

The Organisers’ Rationale

• Proponents say that anti-doping rules have failed to prevent substance use; many elite athletes allegedly use banned substances but rarely get caught. They argue for transparency: if doping exists, it should be done openly and safely, rather than in secret.

• They claim that traditional sporting rules hold back performance and prevent athletes from realising potential that science and medicine could enable. In their view, the Enhanced Games are an experiment — an alternative model of competition.

• They also emphasise athlete autonomy: the idea that individuals should have more control over what they consume under medical frameworks, rather than blanket bans.

Risks and Ethical Questions

• Health experts warn of potential severe side effects: hormonal imbalances, increased risk of cardiac issues, organ damage, even death. Doping is rarely risk-free, and medical supervision does not erase risk entirely.

• There are questions about fairness, both in biological terms and in socio-economic access: who can afford the enhancements, and what limits will there be?

• Recognition of records or performances: Many sports bodies have already said they will not accept records set under such conditions. This could lead to a split between “enhanced” records and “clean” ones, complicating comparisons and legacy.

• Legal, regulatory, and insurance issues are complex. Because PED use remains prohibited under many jurisdictions or by many international sports rules, some aspects of organising an event like this might face pushback or even legal challenges.

What Lies Ahead

• Organisers plan for an annual schedule — possibly more frequent than the Olympics — with a leaner, privately funded model.

• The event could reshape how society thinks about performance, enhancement, ethics, and the body. If successful, it may inspire other similar events, or force established bodies to re-examine doping policy.

• How athletes will respond is still uncertain. Some are joining or signalling interest. Others might avoid participation to preserve eligibility for traditional competitions.

Enhanced Games represents a provocative twist in sports culture. It forces questions: Should limits be scientific or moral? Who defines fairness? And what are the consequences when performance enhancement becomes part of the spectacle instead of the stigma?

Follow Startup Story