Thank you
Here on the internet, you can make/use burner numbers.
Also, why do I need a phone number to play a video game? You can already report smurfing, it’s sabotage or cheating depending on how you read the report rules.
You can still play the game, just not competitive.
It’s still deemed as false reporting I’m afraid.
Having a phone number isn’t proof of anything. Smurfs could just use family members’ numbers who would never play the game. It’s an extremely poor solution, as well as limiting to new players and an undesirable privacy issue. ActiBlizz does not need my phone #, and I don’t need them to have it and get hacked.
Do you have a source on that? Because I remember them saying it’s a problem when when people at higher ranks are intentionally deranking and smashing noobs (though the system is pretty good at bumping smurfs up where they should be/have them play against each other). Also, deranking is 100% reportable, and streamers have been actioned for it.
That does not work at all lol.
Do you know how many alts are in T500 just by abusing that method?
It’s not supposed to be a 100% fix. It’s just supposed to be a deterrent. Requiring phone verification will not get rid of all smurfs; this is evident by the fact that t500s still have multiple accounts on the leaderboard, but it will cut back on them.
I personally have a number of smurfs, and there’s no way I’d bother getting phone numbers for them if this were to be added. I’m sure that applies to plenty of other people as well.
Sure, but you’re not everybody. Again, smurf account or not, why should I need to register my personal phone number with an American (while not being one) company with their shoddy privacy laws, practices, leaks, and breaches just to play a video game? That kind of nonchalant attitude towards privacy isn’t something I think is healthy.
Your account can be on the top500 leaderboard even without phone number verifiaction, you just won’t be able to have the cool credit for achieving top500 status (the rank and the rewards for it)
at least as far as im aware
The thing is, why would Blizz ever want to fix smurfing when it just means more people buying their game? It’s why they’ve been so silent on it, because they don’t want it to be fixed since smurfing makes them money.
You’re idea for a deterrent isn’t bad, but nothing will ever be implemented for smurfing.
Smurfing shouldn’t be reportable. Anyone overperforming or doing good will be labeled as a smurf (any bronze borde player). Throwing and deranking is but not simply placing a rank lower because of the system.
Smurfing is not an alternative account. Smurfing is intentionally keeping your rank low by throwing games periodically.
Smurfing is having another account in lower ranks. A console player switching to pc could be labeled as a smurf or top500 landing diamond on first placements is still a smurf.
Smurfing is the number 1 way they make money from OW (apart from the pro league)
No that’s an alternative account.
Keeping an account a low rank intentionally is what makes it a smurf.
Doesn’t matter, a second account residing in a rank lower than your main is a smurf.
Someone that throws to stay in lower rank is a deranker and smurf.
No, that’s an alternative account. Holy Christ.
Keeping your rank low by throwing games is the definition of a Smurf. Making new accounts is not smurfing, keeping your rank low intentionally is smurfing.
It’s not a hard concept to understand.
The biggest problem with this idea is that not everyone has a usuable phone. Especially those under the age of 18.
Blizzard’s Phone Verification tool does not allow VoIP numbers to work.
To clarify, it is not a violation for players to have more than one account. If a player is deliberately throwing, report them for gameplay sabotage. Don’t worry about those who may be boosting as Blizzard has internal systems which track this behavior. (Click here)
Residing in a ranker lower than yours (highest sr) makes you a smurf, whether you quickly or slowly rank up from that, you’re a smurf until you’ve ranked up to the same sr as your main. As long as an experienced player is placed against those of ranks lower than themselves, they would be labeled as a smurf.
What (if anything) is the official report category for someone you know should not be playing against you based on SR/MMR (which you gather from observations you make about their positioning or mechanical aim, or you see some gameplay review far outside what your ELO is capable of), and they have obviously deranked to be able to obliterate less-skilled players?