It would definitely limit the amount of duplicate accounts users can buy. As a means of playing devil’s advocate, young children who don’t have a phone yet may be unable to play due to parents being apprehensive about disclosing their phone number, and low income households without smartphones will get locked out.
Regardless, I’d still be in support of this idea as I believe that amount of players and potential consumers negatively impacted would be negligible.
I’ve suggested raising the level cap too. While it won’t deter people that passionately want to smurf, it might thin them out. It’s a huge problem on console. 
and for kids that don’t have phones?
Absolutely agree. Plus raise the comp lvl to 100 and if account is caught cheating or smurfing, ban all accounts connected to the credit card used to buy the account.
I don’t know, I mean it works for CSGO. I think they should add a whole “trust factor” thing they have in CSGO. Looking at different types of data. Phone nr, bans in all blizzard games, reports, endorsements, disconnects/leaving etc.
Valve never said what exactly they are looking at when setting trust levels but Im sure the devs at Blizzard can figure things out.
They tried this to stop people having multiple accounts in T500, people just bought burner numbers or used the phones of friends or family.
The best way to stop smurfs would be to limit the number of accounts per device to one, and it could theoretically be done since Blizzard can hardware ban someone if there’s proof they’ve commited violations on multiple accounts, but the problem is what if people share a computer?
Credit card is probably a step to far. I know they do that In china for some games, like your credit factor even goes down or something if u get banned.
it’s about time blizzard called up the cyberpolice to backtrace all these smurfs so consequences will never be the same.
Jeff has said that they consider smurfs a problem and are working on solutions.
https ://i.imgur.com/i42TkmB.jpg
One account per device - impossible, if this kind of data could be used against players, there would be no cheaters in the game.
Phone number - impossible, you can easily buy a pre-paid SIM or use family members’ phone.
Move up the level cap - wont solve anything - most smurfs dont even level up their accounts, they buy a level 25 unranked account.
Credit card - no comment needed, ridiculous.
Smurfing to purposely play in lower ranks is a bad thing, having alts is okay as long as you try your best in the games. Big problem is the role queue boost. If you were a GM dps, you would place GM on tank and support regardless of your playtime on those roles, that might be a reason for people to get an alt and place and paly in correct rating on other roles.
Solution to smurfing? None. Accept the fact that you have equal chance to have a smurf on your team as against you. Blizzard won’t stop people from paying them dollas.
i have reported that streamer before and blizz does not care.
he used to derank on stream all the time. i sent links to blizz they did nothing.
i cant say this enough that blizz doesnt care about deranking, throwing matches, or ruining games if the streamer is popular enough and plays ball with the devs.
and the hardware. scorched earth on cheaters
I like how they acknowledge it to be a problem on consoles, where additional accounts don’t generate any revenue but they consider it to be not a problem on PC, when it clearly is… maybe not as big as consoles but a problem nonetheless
This game is T for teen. Gotta be at least 13 and up. If you aren’t old enough to ask your parents to tie their phone to it, then you aren’t old enough to play it.
This should be 18+, or at least 16+ game.
I don’t know the specifics but I did see part of that Stream.
Doc has no idea what is going on. He is Silver only by decent aim.
Tim the Platman is boosted AF. Plat is likely his true rank anyway.
Game is 16+ anyway…
That’s not a legal requirement, that’s just a guideline. And parents have their own accounts because they play too; can’t use their phones because they’re already taken.
I’m sure I’m in the minority opinion here but I don’t think smurfing is a problem though I agree it is everywhere in the game.
All I’ve ever wanted was better games. And now I get them because smurfs keep coming through my elo working on their new characters or roles.
And now I’m good enough to shut them down because they took time out of their day and money out of their wallet to give me free training on how to beat better players.
Look, it rarely gets said by others but I have no problem speaking the truth about alt accounts and boosting.
Alt accounts are a near necessity to beating the ladder because they allow you to practice in comp without consequences.
Boosting is maybe better because it allows you to play with and against better players that teach you how the game is played at the next level.
Both of these are opportunities available to you as well. I suggest you take advantage of them.