In competitive games like Overwatch, players are always looking for whatever advantages they can get over one another. Tactics can range from well-rounded team compositions to cheeky Roadhog hooks, or buffing DPS characters like Bastion to make them as effective as possible. While all of these options are conventional ways to push for victory and test players’ skills, the less appreciated practice of smurfing is a problem that has been present in Overwatch almost since its release. While smurfing can be used for higher-skilled players that want to be able to play with their lower-ranked friends in competitive matches, frequently this thinly veiled motive isn’t the case.
Smurfing often is the result of players ranked at higher levels making new accounts to play games like Overwatch, League of Legends, and Valorant to play easier matches. On new accounts, players can be placed against others that generally don’t have the same amount of skill as them, allowing for very one-sided games. While unenjoyable in quickplay games, these matches can become infuriating on the ranked bracket. They create an unfair advantage for enemy teams who might have a player that on their main account is ranked one or two tiers higher than they are on their alternate.
Smurfs in Overwatch
While Valorant has taken measures against players who smurf, Overwatch continues to stand out by allowing the practice. Rookie players who are forced to play against veterans that might be ranked in Diamond or above on their main account will often find themselves hopelessly outgunned by these smurfs. This has helped to create a somewhat toxic player environment where the threshold for new Overwatch players to enjoy competitive matches can feel too high.
An individual player might not seem like much for an objective and team-based game, but anyone who can skillfully use the strongest DPS characters in Overwatch can make quick work of their lower-ranked opponents. Matches then become incredibly one-sided, and instead of lower-ranked players being able to enjoy the game as they get better, they can find themselves dropping in rank as they’re beat in back-to-back matches. This can make the player experience miserable for these players, but for those that use smurfing, it’s something that can become an incentive.
Whether a smurf is feeling frustrated because they can’t seem to beat opponents at their skill level or they just want to grab a couple of easy wins for fun, smurfing can become an easy out. This can result in smurfs continuing the practice, using their alternate account to test characters rather than risking their rank on their main account. This cycle then rewards smurfs while punishing players in the lower tiers during the Overwatch ranked seasons.
Diamond players and above get an avenue to test nerfs and buffs in a competitive setting, as lower-ranked players succumb to the occasionally overpowered experimental changes to Mei and other Overwatch characters. The cycle continues, and rookie Overwatch players can then find themselves in a perpetual loop where the competitive side of the game can feel un-fun and inaccessible. All of this in itself takes away from the positive experiences players can have with Overwatch, but what should be one of smurfing’s biggest deterrents makes it worse.
While Overwatch is currently free for a limited time, it normally costs at least $20. Other titles that have problems with smurfs are often free-to-play, which can help limit some of the negative feelings that players have towards the practice. With the cost that Overwatch incurs, however, players affected by smurfs can feel that their money and time is being wasted. This only adds to how bad it can feel to come up against smurfs and highlights why the problem should be more openly addressed. If smurfs face consequences like matchmaking penalties or bans, they might become fewer in number as players decide purchasing an extra copy of Overwatch isn’t worth having the unfair advantage. It wouldn't be a perfect overnight fix to the problem, but it would show that there are more steps being taken to improve the overall player experience in Overwatch.
Overwatch is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
