Finally, a solution to the smurfing problem

Competitive Discussion
1

Don’t you just hate it when you’re in a group and you see a 3-4 man stack, with a genji getting 5-6ks w/ nanoblade, or tracer just incredibly slippery and destroying the backline, or a widow that just headshots you no matter what you do? It sucks having a smurf, we all have been there and it seems inevitable to beat.

Well, here is a solution that may just work. So, from the above example, what do they all have in common? They are all DPS roles. We rarely complain about a hard-core smurfing lucio or mercy, or orissa. While they can be amazing, the biggest hurdle to smurfs are killing the insane DPS.

With that said, my solution is to have a minimum level requirement to play competitive mode on either all or only DPS roles. This being, you must have at least to level 50 to play competitive modes (from the current 25). This will ward off many new accounts from DPS stomping, and if wanted, they can still comp queue at level 25 for tank or healing roles only (if using DPS only level requirement). Additionally, this will gouge up account selling and prices at a higher level due to increased difficulty in now farming up to 2x the amount to reach competitive entry point, which will make buyers less ambitious about buying.

Think about it - increasing competitive entry point to the point where creating a second/alternative account is just not worth the time and effort. It takes a lot of grind up to level 50. You can still enjoy quickplay as a “smurf” to carry, but not as easily in competitive matches. I believe that the reason why people want to make second/alt accounts are twofold: 1) stat reset 2) flex from GM/t500.

Increased level entry will aid with both issues, but continue reading about what I have to say about stat resets.

++ Edit ++
An alternative solution is to add certain benefits when you reach a certain level. Perhaps at higher ranks, you can unlock legendary skins from chests (vs. having to buy w/ currency = level grind), OR perhaps, unlocking certain skills or that become stronger that can be utilized with each 50 levels (perhaps OW2). Any method to help with higher level players directly or indirectly with comp-games can be beneficial. Lastly, I think one major SOURCE of new characters, is the lack of ability to reset stats. Perhaps a season stat erase or some token could be of use for players

What do you guys think?? If you like it - BLOW THIS UP FOR THE DEVS to see! :slight_smile:

47 Likes
2

I actually say it for every role. Make competitive available at 100 and it will kill new smurf accounts and stop the unranked to gm challenges. It’ll also help people learn prior to comp.

36 Likes
3

I like it because it should put their mmr where it needs to be by the time they can queue dps unless they purposely throw for 75 levels.

10 Likes
4

Any one else? I really think this is a good idea!

5 Likes
5

Yeah people has been saying this since 3 years but blizzard wont

9 Likes
6

Yes and no. A lot of smurfs just buy bronze accounts or new leveled accounts off of people who do it for them. While it could discourage people from just buying the account themselves, it could make it where there becomes a market for buying new accounts, leveling them up and throwing placements to end up in low ranks, then selling it at a profit.

4 Likes
7

People can buy accounts

1 Like
8

That’s exactly what I said.

9

People can buy accounts, but it will cost A LOT more for levels that are 100+, so people won’T do it as much.

6 Likes
10

The main problem isn’t smurfs who purposely throw to get to a low rank, the problem is Blizzard starts ALL new accounts around 2350 for their first placements. When Logix or Rascal buy a new account, they play vs Gold players their first placement games, NO MATTER HOW WELL THEY PLAYED THE FIRST 25 LEVELS. It’s completely asinine that Blizzard ignores 20 hours of playtime data, and starts your competitive MMR at the mean. The fix is just to use your QP/arcade MMR and make your first placements vs players with a similar competitive MMR. Logix should be playing against GMs+ when he places a new account. He shouldn’t have 30 free wins to get every new account into T500.

As far as smurfs go, Blizzard has enough data to see people who throw (wildly varied stats from one day to the next). They should implement warnings and suspensions when you are performing a standard deviation or more below your actual MMR in a couple competitive games. Even if you’re not throwing and having a really really bad day, it wouldn’t be that bad for tilted players to take a time out with a 22 hour competitive suspension. Obviously increment them so real throwers can’t just throw 2 games a day to derank before the suspension kicks in.

5 Likes
11

Bad idea people will just start throwing because it takes less time to stomp games.

12

It could eliminate new account smurfs but people would derank more in their older accounts to avoid it.

Raising Enter level for comp is s good idea but they need to change few other things too with it.

2 Likes
13

People don’t learn overwatch by playing quickplay, you’ve actually harmed the game more than you realise by making this change.

The worst players I encounter are those that have played the longest and been stuck in lowish ranks, this is because they’re learned and picked up bad habits, bad understanding of the games roles/mechanics and what is required of them. It’s much harder to break those habits the longer you keep them, I’d much rather have a fresh level 25 on my team than a silver/gold boarder, jaded hardstuck idiot that still has zero understanding of the game.

2 Likes
14

Are you serious? Yes you will learn overwatch by playing quickplay.

Yes, playing comp is faster learning but it doesnt mean you wont learn in qp.

6 Likes
15

Since there already this many smurfs it will only hold players back from creating new smurfs…

The existing ones will stay, so technically raising lvl requirement will do practically nothing to solve the issue. It will only slow down the gain of more smurfs.

People don’t play as serious in QP as in Comp.

They don’t make use of Meta, Compositions, Serious Team-Play and Strategy.

It definetly limits it.

It will only make it annoying for new players because it’ll take long to get to play Competitive.
This doesn’t specifically make them better.
So their ranking can still be low.

“Time played isn’t equal to skill”

2 Likes
16

It will stop creating new smurfs, which are created daily in big numbers. So how is that nothing? Deranking older already created account is much harder than going low with lvl 25.

2 Likes
17

It doesnt matter how serious they play. Its about learning.

And you will not have it below diamond anyway where majority if player base is so what? Quickplay is there to learn basics and to gain skill on your heroes and learn abilities. Thats important because people are going to comp without basics.

4 Likes
18

More importantly, while I don’t think it will stop people making “new” smurf accounts. (They may just stay buying them from someone who does the leveling for them.) It at least slows them while the older accounts that already exist can be dealt with if caught and punished/even banned entirely.

19

Requirement for playing comp:

1) Lvl 50 - it will raise time to level account by 30 hours + (30 hours is not small number)
2) Minimum time spend in quickplay on every roles: 5 hours

5 Likes
20

It pauses creation of new smurfs yes, but it doesn’t directly stop or do anything against the problem.

Of course new smurfs will not be constantly added, though numbers won’t go down.

You can’t learn team-play if the team isn’t wanting to go that path.

That’s still the choice of the user.

This user will get put in the correct ranking, once this user get’s the “knowledge” he requires he can climb up.

Hero and Map knowledge won’t get you past Gold i can tell you that.

“Meta doesn’t apply to lower rankings”
That’s technically not true.

it’s a given that it’s for Diamond+ a must have to have Comms and Meta picks, but this still has value in lower rankings.