Serious question: Is smurfing cheating?

[Devil-26652]

According to the report menu:

Cheating is:

Using third-party programs to automate any facet of the game, exploiting a bug, or engaging in any activity that grants an unfair advantage.

Isn’t being a high ranked player and playing on a new account not an unfair advantage? I mean, that players posses the game sense and mechanical skill that new players doesn’t have yet. That player would have an unfair advantage, right?

(I’m not saying that I want smurf accounts banned or anything like that. I’m just wondering if having a smurf account is cheating or not.)

[AYAYA-21237]

based on that description yes. but blizzard will do nothing about it so smurf away

[Izzy-12460]

It’s abusing the system so kind of? Maybe???
Because new accounts are so… uh, what’s the word I want.

Alternating? Volatile?
You can be paired against golds one match and diamonds/masters the next.

[f100-11428]

I’d say so. If you have a high-level account and refuse to play on it, you’re kinda being a dick.

[JeffreyKaplan (Jeff Kaplan)]

Starting a new account is not against the rules. Boosting or throwing is against the rules.

If you start a new account and play normally, the matchmaker determines your skill level very quickly and matches you with similar players.

[AYAYA-21237]

wew lad pls sign my shirt papa jeff

[WyomingMyst-1633]

A great update to this thanks. Can you please provide any tips or advice on how players should recognize and report players they believe to be boosting?

[f100-11428]

Hey, jeff! I can’t believe you boys are still monitoring this thing. This forum is awful, man!

[DaedShark-1562]

Thx daddy jeff kappy

[Valkyrian-11373]

finally something i can throw at complainers

[Essence-2354]

Papa Jeff has spoken! PogChamp

[MOƗRA-2694]

Cheating is limited to using third party programs or bugs that influence the game into a team’s favor, I think.

We did have our fair share of banned accounts from streamers who did ‘Bronze to GM challenge’ though.

[f100-11428]

Yeah, at that level they’re just exploiting the system. Never been a fan of those moneygrabbers, either.

[NiceGenji-1347]

Hello Jeff, can we get an answer about the state of Doomfist? Do you feel like he doesn’t need any buffs right now, or does need to get nerfed?

[MOƗRA-2694]

Yeah, at that level they’re just exploiting the system. Never been a fan of those moneygrabbers, either.

This is why ‘boosting’ and ‘throwing’ is against the rules but creating new accounts isn’t.

Bronze to GM challenge falls into the ‘throwing’ category or account sharing because it is almost impossible for a GM player to be placed so low in a new account unless they were throwing.

[Arabella-11875]

Well, smurfs are a serious problem in bronze rank. It’s easy to tell, and they still get away with it.

Please please do something, it’s so unfun

[Devil-26652]

Wow. I did not expected to get a response from Jeff himself.

Better use this opportunity.

I love the new map.
Please fix Mei’s Cryo-Freeze so it isn’t affected by favor-the-shooter anymore like the other defensive abilities in the game. Thanks.

[JeffreyKaplan (Jeff Kaplan)]

A great update to this thanks. Can you please provide any tips or advice on how players should recognize and report players they believe to be boosting?

We don’t actually need this behavior reported. We have a whole crew here doing some pretty significant analysis to determine this behavior.

[WyomingMyst-1633]

We don’t actually need this behavior reported. We have a whole crew here doing some pretty significant analysis to determine this behavior.

Thank you, that is helpful information that I can share with others. I trust the same is somewhat true with throwing. I personally will only use the GAMEPLAY SABOTAGE field, for blatant instances of sabotage (Mei Wall on Spawn Door, Teleport on Cliff, etc).

[NiceGenji-1347]

Well, are you going to give us some information about the state of Doomfist next week?