It’s drastically worse this past year. I always play 10 games of comp for a session and Smurfs used to only affect 4 maybe 5 games. Now it’s guaranteed 8/10 will have them. Support Smurfs aren’t so bad to deal with alone but then you have the dps one that’s playing the current overtuned meta hero with a Smurf pocket that’s unkillable.
3 Likes
Bingo to this 100%.
I have recently gone back to my account which I abandoned around season 19 and trying to break 3k with it has been frighteningly difficult for me as a master player. The game has decided my skill tier and will give artificially difficult matches to “make sure I’m not getting lucky.”
That’s the problem with hidden mmr and any matchmaker that thinks it can rate your skill. It’s all a joke.
5 Likes
Smurfing is not an issue at all. Playing against smurfs builds character and puts hair on your chest if youre man.
Not going into the whole “the bad smurf(s) did…”, but this second week of the event I def. see more “new accounts” (for the better OR worse ) leveling in QP/Arcade than “usual”… 
Because maybe you aren’t supposed to climb?
Life isn’t fair bro, welcome to earth
I have only ever seen smurfs maybe 10 times total in a near 6 year play time period. Smurfs is an over exaggerated problem. It should be addressed but at the same time, they are really not that common. Sometimes we just have to realize when we are not playing well and the enemy probably is not a smurf. The enemy is not supposed to be fun to play against.
1 Like
If they let us choose to play with/against bronze borders or not, then pretty much everyone with a silver border or higher will see way fairer games, in regards to high MMR smurfs/alt accounts.
This doesn’t matter for master/gm players tho, theyre already better than the majority of the player base 
4 Likes
yes… because the five year old stale game overwatch has SO many new players flooding in that there are still full groups of level 55 no star bronze accounts in 9/10 of our games… LOLOLOL… oh, and all these new players already know how to stomp you right out of spawn and counter EVERYTHING you do.
I love this story lol
2 Likes
Smurfs are not 100% but they can be frequent if you’re unlucky. Some signs of a smurf:
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Under level 100: Obviously new accounts have to get to 25, so if they are around this level, most likely a smurf account.
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Default costumes and icons: New accounts will not have many cosmetics or custom icons. Smurfs especially do not care about the cosmetics on that account because its just a screw around account for them. Icon wise they will have the default white Overwatch logo. Legitimate new players will change cosmetics, icons etc as if they really are new they most likely are trying to experience the full game with the amazing costumes and icons.
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Playing out of their minds on anything not hitscan: Sorry but no, it is not possible for new players to be tearing people apart using heroes that are not hitscan. Hitscan is understandable if their aim is good and they’re coming from other FPS games like CSGO, Apex, Valorant, etc. But Genji getting 3 kills and getting out no sweat? Doom cleaning house on his own? Nope sorry, you got a smurf.
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They flat out admit it: A lot of smurfs really don’t care that people know they are smurfs. They will often outright admit it after being called out on it. Take their word for it if the above 3 points match up too.
Essentially your mileage may vary here but these are the signs I notice.
3 Likes
post replay, im curious it is really smurf
or
they just play better
or
your team play bad
1 Like
People would just derank on their mains.
I legit never encounter smurfs, not sure what you’re on about. Genuinely I never see them. If you’re getting stomped perhaps you are just bad? It’s not hard to accept I don’t know why it is for others.
Ironically, that same system that is preventing folks from climbing super fast is also preventing from dropping super fast. It looks back at the past history of matches, sees your poor throwing stats are way below your norm, and doesn’t drop you drastically.
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This game is dead. Smurfs are the only ones keeping it active. We should be thankful we still have smurfs who can’t move on.
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It’s to the point now where every game is just who has better smurfs (Qp and Comp) on their team plain and simple. Game is on life support. My friends and I have moved on we don’t have much faith in OW2 at all and you know what? It’s a good feeling playing other games that are much more fair, satisfying, and don’t have smurf and balancing issues as bad as OW.
We are happier than ever and we all agreed that just uninstalling OW was one of the best choices to start 2022. I suggest you all do the same and let the smurfs just keep OW.
4 Likes
Let me guess: No replays to verify what you say is true, right?
Bingo
If you think it is fair to play low elo naturally, not improving, basically throwing games but “naturally” because you are just bad, but keep playing for some reason - these smurfs are the best tool to prove you are doing something wrong in a competitive game. Fact is fact, only bad players have a problem with smurfs. I complain too sometimes, because It is not as fun smurfing when you are not the only one =) But now I call it “competitive smurfing” which is fun. I have harder and more interesting games in plat than I have in masters or in GM. Diamond elo is like complete hell now =) But that is what you should’ve been prepared for, that is why you climb and improve, because now you can establish the smurf diff in your matches, not the other guy. If someone stomps you it is just because you let them do that, yes, you, not devs. No victim mindset, only pop-off or get the hell out of here.
I see them almost every game, not sure what game your loading
1 Like