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Smurfing is a widespread phenomenon in the online gaming world, where a usually good player creates a smurf account (in German, “Schlumpf-Spielerkonto”) to play the game under a different identity.
Smurfing and smurf accounts: What it means
Smurf is the English word for “Schlumpf” (smurf), and as we know, the word “schlumpfen” is used for many verbs. A player with a smurf account plays under a false identity. Smurfers are often found in the rankings of popular games such as Counter-Strike, League of Legends, or Fortnite.
- Smurf accounts can be recognized by the fact that a player often plays extremely well, even though they are unknown or ranked low in the rankings.
- Some also smurf to take advantage of newbies. This is particularly lucrative in role-playing games such as Diablo Immortal or World of Warcraft, but just as unfair to new players.
- Smurfing is also used to flame players under different names. These trolls are particularly unpopular because they ruin the game for others.
Why players smurf – advantages and disadvantages
In addition to trolling and gaining an unfair advantage, there are many reasons for smurf accounts, which have both advantages and disadvantages for the game and other players.
- With a smurf, you can try out tactics and techniques without dropping in the rankings or losing anything with your main account.
- Unfortunately, smurfs are sometimes used for cheating or as a test for cheats so that the game account is not at risk of being banned.
- In addition, you can play games without being approached as a well-known player. Fame can be exhausting, especially for world-class players, as many fans would rather chat with them than play.
- Sometimes players also use smurfs to boost their main account. This means that they play games with both accounts and give their main account an advantage. Of course, this also works with the game accounts of friends, which are boosted by smurfs.
- There are even entire smurf guilds where all players create a new account and smurf together to gain the above-mentioned advantages.
- As long as smurf accounts do not behave abusively, you as a player cannot and do not need to do anything. In many games, it is possible to create a second, third, or even tenth account in just a few steps.
- However, if a player becomes offensive or gains advantages through their smurfs, you can usually report the player to the game’s support team. Screenshots with the time and date and chat logs are helpful for this.
