Overwatch has been plagued by a problem for years. Smurfs ruin the gaming experience for both sides.
Anyone who plays in ranked mode in Overwatch and is placed in Silver, Gold, or Platinum experiences a shocking surprise every few matches. Again and again, you suddenly encounter one or more players who can handle Genji incredibly well, who distribute headshots with Widowmaker in split seconds, or who can obliterate entire teams with Hanzo.
If you then look at the playtime of these players, you rub your eyes in disbelief. Often they have only a few hours with the respective character.
This leads to the thought: This is a Smurf. And it is precisely these Smurf accounts that greatly disturb the players of Overwatch.
What is a Smurf? A Smurf (translated as “Schlumpf”) is a player’s second account. Typically, this player is quite good and has a high skill rating, so they are placed in the higher ranks.
With a Smurf account, they can then “start anew” and compete against players who are significantly below their skill level. Thus, an experienced player often decides matches alone.
What’s wrong with Smurfs? Smurfs ruin the gaming experience for all other players. In most cases, Smurfs are significantly better than all the other players in the match, causing them to feel hopelessly outmatched.
While the Smurf feels like they are mercilessly dominating everyone else, the other 11 players feel that they can’t do anything at all. That’s frustrating.
Why are there so many Smurfs in Overwatch? In Overwatch, it’s particularly easy to create a Smurf account. On PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, it’s even free, so many players have ten or more accounts. However, on PC, one has to buy a new Overwatch version each time.
Another issue is the low entry barrier. To participate in ranked games, you only need an account level of 25. This can be achieved in just a few hours and poses little barrier for experienced players (who want to smurf).
In order for Smurfs not to rise back into their “actual” play area, they often team up to collectively lose some matches. This way, they can stay in a skill range that does not correspond to their actual strength.
This is what fans demand: On Reddit, players demand that Blizzard takes action against Smurf accounts. If there are no penalties for this, then at least the required account level should be significantly raised.
Instead of 25, players wish for a raise to 50 or even 75. A corresponding suggestion has received nearly 8,000 upvotes. Then Smurfs would have to invest significantly more time and might be deterred.
How do you feel about Smurfs in Overwatch? Do they bother you as much? Or have you not had any problems with them so far?
Mehr zu Overwatch: Auf unserer Overwatch-Seite auf Facebook findet Ihr auch weitere News und Specials zum Spiel. Auf der Suche nach Mitspielern? Besucht unsere Overwatch-Gruppe auf Facebook und sucht dort nach Mitspielern.
