Smurfing doesn’t hold players down, but it does turn comp into an unnecessary grind if you keep running into games you can’t do much about. Some players have full-time commitments like a job or university and can’t afford to play for 4+ hours a day. A single loss from a smurf can set you back 40+ minutes, potentially longer if you main DPS. This can result in some players not being as high as they should be, but its more an issue of not having the time to grind rather than the actual hardstuck players looking for an excuse. More often than not though, it just winds up to those players quitting because if you have limited time, you’re not going to waste it on something that’s not fun.
And that’s where the core issue lies. Most people have issues with smurfs because games with smurfs just aren’t fun to play. You don’t get to make much plays on either side, and most of the time the game devolves into toxicity because they go out of their way to upset the other players. People like to play the game for fun and to compete, and when a player does everything in their power to ruin that for others, then of course people are going to be upset over it. Even when you do roll a smurf, it’s a hollow victory because they always take it out on their teammates.
Also, the “use smurfs to get better” argument is shifting the blame from the player cheating the matchmaker onto the player who plays legitimately. Instead of asking normal players to get better, why not ask smurfs to get good enough to actually play in their own rank? Normal players aren’t going to appreciate unsolicited advice in the face of a player who can’t even perform well in their own rank.
Aside from playing with lower rank friends which is a very popular reason to make an alternate account.
Another less commonly mentioned reason is due to the automatic reporting system resulting in false suspensions. Many streamers have been affected by this due being reported for playing unpopular heroes, notably Bastionmain, yet for non-streamers this issue does not get addressed. I myself have had a suspension for refusing to swap off echo when a toxic 4 stack that was throwing told me to do so in order for them to play her on release. I didn’t even respond and just muted them all yet still got suspended because of the power of the 4stack.
Are streamers more important than the player base. They can also show proof to blizzard that they don’t deserve a suspension. I have seen several cases of suspension being lifted.
I also play less popular heroes like Mei, Sym, and even bastion without much issue besides some people griping over hero choice.
Want to play with lower rank friends then play other modes like quick play or arcade.
Anything you want to do can be done on your main account. The main reason is just to have throw away account where they don’t care what happens since it allows people to smurf without affecting their main account.
one time i had bad internet connection that makes me dc so many times and lagging, end up my sr drop all the way to 1700
i was able to climb back to 2900 like in 3 days when my internet is fixed
thats 1700 to 2900 in 3 days with 20 hours in total, had like 60 -70 winrate
nowdays i try to play my old alt account which is only 2100, and take me about like 70-80 hours to get 2800, so it takes like triple the time because there just so many smurf
sure u can get your deserved rank, but is much much much harder and take alot of time and frustation
Well if you define winning against the enemy team as ruining the game then there’s no point in even playing Overwatch as you will eventually win and ruin the game for the enemy.
If you want to be hand held and protected from the feeling of defeat then a competitive game isn’t the place for that.
Climbing to your rank within 70-80 hours is normal and proves that there is no problem.
I have personally made a secondary account and managed to climb from gold to masters, which is a much higher climb, in a week or so. Maybe there are other factors as to why you couldn’t climb back to plat as fast like adapting to the ever evolving game mechanics.
I don’t understand… Where is the rebuttal…?
I have never had suspensions lifted you might have gotten lucky to get a good agent but most of them fall back on the policy of not reversing anything.
But the fact that you admit to experiencing multiple false suspensions should help you understand that this is a systematic issue that affects many people who might not be as lucky as you, causing them to make alt accounts.
They are equal because a plat player and a top 500 player have the same skill level, they’re rank is purely decided by the randomness of how many smurfs they get in their games!
Sorry I see you’re new to the forum (probably), It’s just I had tons of talks on this smurf matter, so I wait some time to read all the answers then give my usual pov
That may be true, but I firmly believe that most uses of alt accounts are not for good intentions.
There is no denying that it rubs people the wrong way when people smurf either by deranking or trying to emulate streamers with unranked to GM challenges.
I will admit if you main account is suspended then I think there may be a case for getting another account. Unfortunately that is not the main reason for a lot people who have 5+ accounts.
Not even a hot take, It’s just what I write every time when this matter come up, I am a low rank (tank - mid gold , dps low gold, support low plat) my main role is tank by now.
I don’t claim I’m held down by those smurfs , for sure I do my mistake and for sure I play heroes who aren’t well suited for gold rank (as dps I’m main sombra/reaper, prob only Reaper is suited for gold, but in this meta of hitscans he’s unplayable)
The thing that annoy most of us isn’t to be ‘‘hardstuck’’ as a lot think, the issue is to have matches who are only oneside stomps, ‘‘we’’ low ranks don’t like to be carried heavily by the smurf (or the alt account) neither to be completely destroyed by someone who experienced already higher rank and have the knowledge to do what he want in gold.
we simply ask in gold… to play with people who are actually in gold, not a diamond/master who’s ‘‘learning a new hero’’ on a new acc, sure he don’t know that hero for good maybe but the gamesense and the way he know other mistakes aren’t the one of a gold player, are the one of a diamond player.
right now comps seems oneway stomps. Personally I’m not doin comps since 3 weeks with today, I don’t see anymore the point of it since ranks are mixed in a awful manner.
According to statistical science, the smurf is more likely to be on the enemy team because that side has 6 potential smurfs and your team has 5 (assuming you’re not a smurf). However, a long-running smurf has to throw games to remain at a low rank, and throwers are also more likely to be on the enemy team.
If you aren’t in bronze where this primarily is going on and effecting people trying to be better you don’t really get an opinion on if smurfs are a problem because you don’t actually have to put up with it the way bronze players do
What statistical science? the one you’re pretending exists?
You obviously have no clue. I’ve met people who smurf boost for money. Its very prominent and people consider it a business venture at this point.
Smurfs exist, if you make these posts, I’m litterally just assuming you want to make other players feel bad about themselves.
let me read why they don’t affect other ranks then i answer later to say why they do.
