Riot Games is trying to crack down on smurfs with a fresh ban wave in Valorant. The wave of bans should lead to an improvement in competitive integrity.
The developers are working on additional solutions for patch 3.10 which should address boosting and smurfing.
Despite Riot's efforts, smurfing may never be addressed for good as players continuously find ways to beat the system.
Smurfing in Valorant can land you in trouble because Riot Games has initiated ban waves to keep the competitive queue fair for all players. Smurfing has been a problem in Valorant for a very long time with players creating alternate accounts just to play against lower-leveled opponents. While it can be considered okay if players smurf to queue up with lower-ranked friends, it makes the competitive experience unfair. Frequent ban waves may curb smurfing in the game and deter players from making multiple accounts to play Valorant.
Additional changes are coming to Valorant’s ranked system to address smurfing
A lot of smurfs typically create accounts to boost one or more players in a stack. Starting with patch 3.10, five stacking is back for anyone of any rank but with the tradeoff of earning less ranked rating. Four-stacking will not be allowed in the competitive queue as it leaves solo players at the mercy of such stacks.
There will be additional changes implemented, in the next patch, with the intention of preserving both Matchmaking and Leaderboard integrity. Players will find out more once patch 3.10 goes live on 16th November 2021.
Will the smurfing problem in Valorant ever be solved?
Despite the ban wave against smurfs in Valorant, the game’s smurfing problem may never be solved as players manage to outsmart the MMR (Matchmaking Rating) system very consistently. Valorant’s Senior Competitive Designer Jon ‘EvrMoar’ Walker said on Reddit last month that the MMR system is split between your "Encounter" MMR and your "Win/Loss" MMR. Then, depending on your rank Riot combines a percentage of each type of MMR to create your account-specific MMR that determines how much ranked rating you gain or lose after every game.
In lower ranks an encounter is weighted extremely heavily, and if you are a smurf the system can detect it within 10 games in some cases. He said that the issue “is that players will manipulate their matches to stay smurfing. Players will either play their 10 games and the account will get adjusted, or they will start to purposefully tank their games or not play at their skill level to try and stay at lower ranks.”
Despite Riot Games’ efforts he feels that “realistically nothing will solve smurfing. It will be a constant game of cat and mouse and we will have to adjust our systems all the time to try and reduce the reasons/ability to smurf.” While Riot Games continues to demotivate players from smurfing in Valorant, it does not look like a permanent solution is in sight just yet.
I am an avid enthusiast with a deep understanding of the gaming industry, particularly Riot Games' Valorant. My expertise is grounded in years of active participation in the gaming community, coupled with a keen interest in the technical aspects of game development, matchmaking systems, and player behavior analysis. I've closely followed Riot Games' initiatives and updates, allowing me to provide informed insights into the recent measures taken to combat smurfing in Valorant.
Riot Games has recently launched a ban wave in Valorant to address the persistent issue of smurfing, demonstrating their commitment to maintaining competitive integrity. This move aims to create a fair playing field for all users by deterring players from creating alternate accounts to face lower-leveled opponents. The bans are not just a one-time effort; Riot is actively working on additional solutions for patch 3.10 to tackle both smurfing and boosting, indicating a proactive approach to maintaining a balanced competitive environment.
Despite these measures, the article highlights the ongoing challenges in completely eradicating smurfing. Players seem to consistently find ways to outsmart the Matchmaking Rating (MMR) system, as mentioned by Valorant's Senior Competitive Designer, Jon 'EvrMoar' Walker. The MMR system in Valorant is split between "Encounter" MMR and "Win/Loss" MMR, with the combination determining the account-specific MMR. Smurfs manipulate their matches, sometimes purposefully tanking games or not playing at their skill level to remain at lower ranks, thereby eluding the system's detection.
The article also mentions upcoming changes in patch 3.10 to Valorant's ranked system. Five stacking will be allowed for players of any rank, but with the tradeoff of earning less ranked rating. However, four-stacking will not be permitted in the competitive queue, aiming to ensure a fair experience for solo players who might otherwise be at a disadvantage against coordinated stacks.
In essence, while Riot Games is actively implementing measures, such as ban waves and adjustments to the ranked system, to combat smurfing in Valorant, the article suggests that a definitive solution might still be elusive. The dynamic nature of player behavior and the constant evolution of strategies to bypass the MMR system pose ongoing challenges, making it a continual process of adaptation and refinement for Riot Games.
Not all accounts are subject to this ban wave; only those violating Riot Games' Terms of Service are at risk. This includes accounts involved in account sharing and other disruptive behaviors, but not necessarily all smurf accounts.
What does Riot do about it? Smurfing in Valorant: A practice that once sparked controversy but is now navigated adeptly by Riot Games, ensuring that players are neither strictly penalized nor banned for utilizing smurfs accounts.
Just to add, Riot Games has algorithms that are pretty tight-lipped, but they're definitely using player behavior and performance metrics to spot smurfs. So if you suddenly start playing like a pro in lower ranks, you're gonna get noticed.
Valve changed their rules and smurfing isn't allowed anymore in their games. Saw some screenshots from dota2 woth people who got banned for smurfing. CS might follow. There are plenty of reasons to smurf, some are toxic, some necessary.
In proven cases of smurfing, we'll take direct action against the account, and in some cases their main account as well. This means that if you want to play Clash on an alternate account, you will need to ensure that it is of roughly the same rank as your highest.
A smurf is a colloquial term for a money launderer who seeks to evade scrutiny from government agencies by breaking up large transactions into a set of smaller transactions that are each below the reporting threshold. Smurfing is an illegal activity that can have serious consequences.
The page reads: “We don't endorse it because it can ruin the game for other players, like getting stomped by a smurfing player in Bronze. Tackling it on a massive scale is difficult due to the number of players in League and the ease of account creation — in most cases we won't proactively remove smurfs from the game.”
We collect info from third parties to help us identify from where you're using the Riot Services (like your approximate location based on your IP address).
Is smurfing bannable in VALORANT? Yes, smurfing is bannable in VALORANT. Riot Games has a policy against smurfing, and they will take action against players who are found to be smurfing. This may include a temporary or permanent suspension of their account.
PREAMBLE: The company International Merchandising, Promotion and Services SA (hereafter referred to as “IMPS”) is the publisher of the site www.smurfbusiness.com and exclusive owner of the rights to exploit the characters and the universe of the Smurfs, by virtue of the assignment of these rights by the company Studio ...
Smurfing is Not Welcome in Dota. Today, we permanently banned 90,000 smurf accounts that have been active over the last few months. Smurf accounts are alternate accounts used by players to avoid playing at the correct MMR, to abandon games, to cheat, to grief, or to otherwise be toxic without consequence.
How To Know You're In The Smurf Queue. Players are often placed in a smurf queue by Riot Games based on a number of criteria, including their win-to-loss ratio as well as their kill-to-death ratio. If you create a brand-new account, you are required to play ten games before you can earn a rank.
Not only are such automated techniques prohibited by Riot's terms of service, but they are also quite likely to be discovered, resulting in a ban. As a result, botted accounts are typically less expensive. Checking the account's match history is the simplest approach to identify a botted account.
Removal of "smurf" queue and the number of people celebrating it is hilarious. I swear 99% of the complainers didn't even know what smurf queue was, it became some kind of scapegoat for any game feeling bad.
Is smurfing bannable in VALORANT? Yes, smurfing is bannable in VALORANT. Riot Games has a policy against smurfing, and they will take action against players who are found to be smurfing. This may include a temporary or permanent suspension of their account.
While it is frowned upon by Riot, smurfing as a whole is a legal practice in League of Legends. This means that it is not a bannable offense. However smurfing becomes a gray area with legality when you start getting technical with the terminology.
Riot Games, the developer of Valorant, has a clear stance against smurfing. Engaging in smurfing is a bannable offense, and Riot actively takes action against players found guilty of it. Penalties may range from temporary suspensions to permanent bans, depending on the severity of the offense.
Is Smurfing Illegal in League of Legends? Smurfing is technically not allowed in League of Legends — or any game. In Riot's Support page on smurfing, the developer states that there are anti-smurf measures in place. If a smurfing player gets through this, they risk getting banned from the game and from tournaments.
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