As we know, last week, Valve announced the punishment of 90,000 “smurf” accounts in DOTA 2. This is a significant crackdown, surprising many players of DOTA 2 specifically and the esports community in general. The sheer number of punished accounts and Valve’s decisive action has raised eyebrows. However, this is seen as a reasonable move as “smurfing” in DOTA 2 and other games has become increasingly rampant. In fact, League of Legends players also hope that Riot can take similar strong measures as DOTA 2.
Similar to DOTA 2, the issue of “smurfing” in League of Legends has existed for quite some time and is even more serious, as Riot’s game continues to attract millions of players daily worldwide. Encountering “smurf” players has never been a positive experience for players. Therefore, when hearing about Valve banning “smurf” accounts, many League of Legends players in various forums wish that Riot would “learn” to clean up the League of Legends environment.
However, some opinions from players acknowledge that Riot has not (and may never) handle “smurfing” accounts like Valve does. The main reason is that these “smurf” accounts play a crucial role in attracting the attention of potential players and bringing them to League of Legends.
Explaining this point, one user noted: “You can easily find highlight clips or astonishing plays. Almost all of them involve “smurfs” playing against lower-ranked players, yet it excites new players. They might think, ‘This game is awesome.’ But it could actually be content from a Challenger player dominating a Silver tier. Videos showcasing gameplay strategies and journeys to Challenger… all come from “smurf” accounts.”
This is clearly a reasonable explanation, as alongside professional matches, watching highlight clips of impressive plays is one of the reasons new players become aware of and interested in League of Legends. A clip featuring smooth wombo combo plays or elegant Yasuo maneuvers can generate just as much excitement as any offers or hot champion skins. Moreover, professional video teams often have numerous “smurf” accounts to create content that aligns with their objectives.
And as Riot continues to benefit from these accounts, the publisher may be inclined to take a softer approach. Furthermore, while “smurfing” may negatively impact the experience of some players, since every player is also affected by the content created by “smurf” accounts, it seems the story will continue indefinitely.