Gaming & Internet Culture · gaming
What Does 'Smurfing' Mean in Gaming?
Mainstream
“There was this outpouring of comments saying basically, ‘Hey, I do smurf sometimes, but really it is not bad all the time,’”
via eurekalert.org
See it in action
Video: Marvel Rivals Has A MAJOR Smurfing Problem., embedded from its original platform.
What it means
In online gaming, smurfing is when a high-skilled, veteran player creates a new or secondary account so that automated matchmaking systems place them in lobbies with lower-ranked, less experienced opponents. Because the new account has no skill history, the system pairs the smurf against beginners, allowing the veteran to score easy wins. The players who do this are called 'smurfs,' and the gaming community generally frowns upon them.
The practice is controversial and widely considered toxic to the gaming community. Researchers at Ohio State found that gamers perceive smurfs as more likely than other players to be toxic, engaging in behaviors like trolling and flaming the weaker players they dominate. Getting repeatedly crushed is incredibly disheartening for novices when they're just starting out; defeats have tangible impacts on fledgling players, preventing them from moving up the ranks.
Smurfing can even discourage fresh faces from wanting to play altogether, which is the opposite of what gaming is about.
Despite the stigma, smurfing is highly prevalent. The Ohio State study revealed that 69% of surveyed players admitted to smurfing at least sometimes, and 94% thought other people smurf sometimes. Interestingly, participants thought that *other* gamers were more likely to be toxic when they smurfed compared to themselves.
Researchers noted that debates about toxicity in gaming are more complex than often acknowledged, with gamers putting smurfing in the 'bad' category, but believing bad has nuance.
Players often justify smurfing with reasons they deem less blameworthy. In the Ohio State study, participants evaluated various reasons for smurfing. Wanting to play with friends who were less experienced at the game was considered a valid, less blameworthy reason. Conversely, wanting to just 'crush a bunch of [lesser skilled players]' was judged as highly blameworthy.
Some players also claim competing against pros is a learning experience, or that experienced gamers deserve a relaxing break to play with ordinary people, though these arguments are widely contested. [1][2][3][4]
The receipt
Original post, embedded from Youtube, linked and credited. Visuals on this page are shown for commentary and identification.
The receipts
Documented, dated uses of “smurfing” — each quote is verbatim from the linked source.
“Gamers say they really don't like smurfing. They also say they do it, but they're not ruining games and they only do it for valid reasons”
“Smurfing, which involves high-skilled players creating new accounts to dominate lower-ranked lobbies, has increased in Marvel Rivals' ranked mode.”
“e-Gaming will always fall short of becoming a true e-Sport until we remove smurfing, bad manner and cheating from it.”
Every quote above passed the same verification gate this site publishes under: real source, real date, copied verbatim. See the editorial policy.
Why it's everywhere
The rise of the celebrity Twitch streamer has motivated celebrity gamers not only to play, but perform for their audiences. Popular streamers like Tfue, Freakazoid (CSGO), and Shroud have publicly posted videos of themselves smurfing innocent newbies. These cheap laughs generate views, though even loyal fans aren't thrilled with the practice.
In the game Marvel Rivals, smurfing has increased significantly in ranked mode. Bronze and Silver matches have become crowded with smurfs who are frequently Grandmaster or Celestial-ranked players. They take advantage of the game's lack of placement matches and ease of account creation. Level 10-15 accounts are winning 90% of the time, killing their opponents and making competitive play a frightening task for less experienced players.
Streamers have worsened the problem in Marvel Rivals with 'Unranked to Grandmaster' challenges, which spark outrage because their content frequently mocks lower-ranked players. This prompted developer NetEase to respond to community outrage by adding a dedicated 'Smurfing' option under the Report Player menu, allowing players to flag suspected smurfs for a potential ban or suspension.
Smurfing is also a trending topic in broader gaming discourse due to academic research. A study published in the journal New Media & Society by researchers at Ohio State highlighted the nuance in how gamers view the practice.
The research, which started with 328 participants from gaming-specific subreddits and a gaming club, revealed the hypocrisy that while gamers say they really don't like smurfing, 69% admit to doing it, claiming they only do it for valid reasons.
Within the e-sports community, smurfing is debated as one of the 'three evils' alongside bad manner and cheating. Some argue that e-gaming will fall short of becoming a true e-Sport until smurfing is removed, as it violates the sportsmanship principles of fairness, respect for opponents, and graciousness. From a community perspective, it is considered by some as the worst evil because it is the least recognized as a problem.
How it gets used
Smurfing is used as both a noun and a verb in gaming communities. A player who smurfs is called a smurf. The term is most common in competitive multiplayer games with skill-based matchmaking.
- “Bro there's definitely a smurf in this lobby, level 12 account going 40-0 is not normal”A player suspecting a high-skilled opponent is using a new account in a low-ranked match.
- “I only smurf so I can play ranked with my friends who just started the game”A player defending the practice by citing the desire to play with less experienced friends, a reason researchers found to be less blameworthy.
- “Reported this guy for smurfing, he's literally a Celestial player stomping Bronze lobbies for content”A player using NetEase's new in-game reporting feature in Marvel Rivals to flag a suspected smurf taking advantage of the lack of placement matches.
- “Watching Tfue smurf in ranked Fortnite is funny until you realize those are actual newbies getting destroyed”A viewer reacting to a popular Twitch streamer posting smurfing content for views, recognizing the harm to novice players.
- “We can't have true e-Sportsmanship until we stop smurfing, bad manner, and cheating. It's the worst evil because people don't even recognize it as a problem.”A community member discussing how smurfing violates fair play and prevents e-gaming from becoming a legitimate sport.
- “I know people say smurfing is toxic, but I only do it sometimes and I'm not ruining games. There's a difference.”A gamer echoing the findings of the Ohio State study, acknowledging the behavior is bad but claiming their own reasons make it only a little bad.
Frequently asked
Is smurfing cheating?
Smurfing is not traditional cheating like hacking, but it circumvents matchmaking systems by creating new accounts to play against lower-skilled opponents. The community widely considers it unsportsmanlike and toxic, and some games now allow players to specifically report others for smurfing.
Why do players smurf if it is frowned upon?
Players smurf for various reasons. Some want to play with less experienced friends, others want easy wins, and streamers sometimes smurf to create entertaining content. A study found that 69% of surveyed gamers admitted to smurfing at least sometimes, even though most said they dislike the practice.
How are developers responding to smurfing?
Some developers are adding smurfing as a reportable offense. NetEase, the developer of Marvel Rivals, added a Smurfing option under the Report Player menu after Bronze and Silver matches became crowded with high-ranked smurfs. Reports can lead to a ban or suspension.
Related terms (3)
More gaming (6)
Sources (4)
- dailydot.com — 'Smurfing' And 'Smurfs' In Video Games: Everything You Need To Know
- gosugamers.net — e-Sportsmanship: Strop the Smurfing! | GosuGamers
- eurekalert.org — Gamers say they hate ‘smurfing,’ but admit they do it | EurekAlert!
- videogamer.com — PSA: Use this new feature to combat smurfing in Marvel Rivals - VideoGamer