Is Smurfing Toxic or Strategic? Pros and Cons for the LoL Community

Smurfing is one of the most controversial and constantly discussed aspects of online and MOBA games, and LoL is no exception.

For some, it is a tool for stress-free learning and relaxation, and for others, it is an opportunity for toxic behavior without serious punishment and violation of the rules of fair play. The point is to create another League of Legends account for a new gaming experience, not to violate the game rules.

In this article, we will analyze – is smurfing bad League of Legends and what are its advantages that will help you improve your level of play in the Riot Games project.

What is Smurfing in League of Legends

Smurfing is a gaming practice in which an experienced player creates a new, or secondary, account to play at a lower rank or skill level than their primary rank or skill level.

The term itself emerged and became popular during the popularity of Warcraft 2, when two experienced players created secondary accounts to play against less experienced opponents, and so the term smurfing became established in the gaming industry to explain this approach to the game.

Why Players Create LoL Smurf Accounts

Everyone has their own motivation, but here are the most common reasons why players smurf.

Practice and Experimentation

The opportunity to try out a new role and tactics, such as an aggressive jungle style.

Learn new champions and strategies without the risk of losing rating on the main account.

Improve micro and macro play without much stress in a tense environment.

Entertainment and Relaxation

Playing at high ranks is associated with stress, where mistakes and losses reduce MMR, and sometimes even one wrong move will lead to defeat. This creates additional jitters, from which you just want to relax, unwind and play for your own pleasure.

Playing with Low-Level Friends

If your spread in ranks with a friend is too big, then you will not be able to start searching for matches, because the system must select an average rank, and this will be too easy for you and still difficult for your friend.

Smurfing in League of Legends allows you to bypass this limitation and help a friend until his rank becomes high enough.

Content-Making

If you want to stream or make useful videos, then you will need several secondary accounts to show game mechanics, teach, or dominate the new rating.

What is the Strategic Benefit of Using Smurf Accounts in League of Legends  

There is a lot of debate around smurfing in LoL, about its benefits, harms and correct use. In fact, when a second account is used ethically and honestly, it benefits not only the gamer himself, but also the entire League of Legends community.

Training and Skill Growth

Smurfing is primarily a platform and an opportunity for training, and instead of spoiling the main rating, you can work on your mistakes, keep an eye on your opponents and at the same time help less experienced allies win matches.

Content and Popularization of the Game

Many guides, videos and entertaining videos are filmed using smurf accounts, this greatly popularizes the game and makes it more attractive to beginners.

Increased Confidence

If you are stuck at your rank, you may begin to doubt your skills and general understanding of the game, and playing on a smurf account will help you feel in control, restore confidence in your abilities and just play without moral pressure.

Load Distribution

This way you can simply speed up the selection of a match, which is always faster depending on what popular rank you are at.

When Smurfing in LoL Becomes Toxic

Despite the obvious benefits, smurfing also has its downsides that contribute to the toxicity of the community when used in bad faith.

Killing Newbies in Lane

One of the most common problems is when an experienced player simply destroys newbies, leaving them no chance. For an experienced gamer, this may be fun, but there is no progress or challenge in this, and for newbies, it discourages all desire to continue playing and getting better at League of Legends.

Matchmaking Abuse

Riot Games uses a hidden MMR to match players of equal strength, and since a player’s MMR does not reflect the real picture of skills, many gamers may experience discomfort due to playing against a clearly stronger opponent.

Team Suppression

An experienced player may expect too much from their teammates, which increases the degree of conflict and adds additional stress to everyone else. All this develops toxic behavior, even if the match initially started normally.

Smurf for the Sake of Dominance

Some gamers use smurf accounts for easy victories, without effort. Firstly, it is unfair to other players, and secondly, it destroys your gaming skill, because you simply do not experience the challenge and quickly begin to play worse.

How Riot Games Fights with Smurfing

The very fact of creating, or use professional account, is not prohibited by the rules of Riot Games, only manipulation of them to violate the game rules and regular toxic behavior are punished.

You will get a ban if you progress too quickly, start using bugs to win matches, or violate the game balance.

If you play too well for your rank, then you will not get a ban, you will simply increase your rank faster and play with more suitable opponents so as not to spoil the fun for other players.

To get into ranked matches, your account must be level 30 and have 20 active champions.

The most important thing is to avoid rudeness and toxic behavior, they will lead to a ban much faster.

How to Use Smurf Account Ethically

If you are using a smurf account not to harm other players, then try to adhere to these principles.

• Don’t enter Ranked too early – Play normal games and don’t ruin the ranked experience for other players.
• Respect other players – no need to destroy other players, just play well, win the match and move on in the ranked system.
• Don’t demand anything from other players – many of them are newbies who need to be taught, not offended.
• Don’t use a smurf for a boost – if you take such an account to develop another player, then both accounts will have a chance to get banned.

How to Recognize a Smurf in Your League of Legends Games

• The player last hits perfectly, plays aggressively and confidently.
• Very high KDA in games, especially on champions that are difficult for beginners.
• The player shows excellent macro and micro play, understands warding, controls creep pulls, monitors the map.

What the Community Thinks

The gaming community is really divided and opinions for smurf account pros and cons are too distinct.

Pros:

• A break from ranked matches.
• Games with newbie friends.
• Learning new heroes without spoiling statistics.

Cons:

• Spoiling games for beginners.
• Selfishness and unfair play.
• A false sense of one’s own coolness.

There are thousands of such discussions, but the main thing can be highlighted – players are not against smurf accounts in League of Legends, but against indecent behavior and toxicity, and everything else can be part of the gameplay if it does not offend anyone.

Conclusion

Smurfing is not a categorical term, and often players agree that the format of playing on multiple accounts does not directly harm the game. The problems start with toxic behavior and the creation of pseudo-dominance, which spoils the game for everyone except the player himself, and for him too, because it very quickly reduces gaming skills due to playing against weak opponents who do not teach anything.

If you learn on another account, help and support other players, then you are great, but if you are rude and spoil the game for others, then you will be banned sooner or later for both the main and secondary accounts.

You can do whatever you want with your accounts as long as you do not violate the rules of fair play. This includes abuse of ranks, manipulation of farm and exploitation of bugs, rude and aggressive behavior towards other players and just unfair play.

Do not forget that League of Legends is a platform for testing personal skills and team interactions, where the strongest player and the one who can adapt to the situation and learn well wins.

FAQ

Does smurfing harm directly?

No, if you play honestly and openly.

Why does Riot Games encourage this format?

They cannot directly oppose it, and 80% of players use second accounts for learning and creating content, and not for harming the community.

Is it worth buying a game account?

Yes, if you want to challenge your rank, or unlock many champions at once.