A new ban policy in the MOBA “DOTA 2” (Steam) is now active. Valve aims to improve the experience for newcomers and is cracking down on players with smurf accounts.
What’s new: On March 25, Valve’s team released a blog post about their MOBA DOTA 2, one of the biggest hits on Steam. The blog post discusses showcasing fresh approaches designed to help new players learn DOTA. This includes the following 6 changes:
- A revamp of the shop
- A kind of quest system that introduces players to various aspects of DOTA
- Revamped reward system
- A glossary explaining terms and features
- A game mode for new players
- The banning of smurfs
Especially the banning of smurf accounts has sparked a larger discussion in the community. According to professionals, there are situations where it makes sense to play a smurf.
What the developers say about the smurf ban
Valve says: In the blog post, the team writes that smurfs can cause damage. They now want to contain this damage even more with the new rule. “Starting today, ‘smurfing’ will be a bannable offense. We will primarily focus on new accounts created after today, which we are very sure are smurfing and harming the gaming experience.
Additionally, we will occasionally manually ban existing accounts that are obviously disruptive. If it turns out that you are selling or boosting accounts, or are involved in similarly disruptive behaviors, your primary account could also be banned.
Those who smurf too much end up in Smurf Village with the other smurfs
If smurf allegations are not entirely clear, Valve reserves the right to place these accounts into a special pool. This ensures that these suspicious accounts have a high chance of playing with other players suspected of smurfing. Afterward, a decision will be made whether they were rightly or wrongly suspected.
The term “smurf” is known from many multiplayer games. It refers to a second account created by a player who already has a primary account in the same game.
The idea behind it is, among other things, that an experienced player creates a new, fresh account to compete against “true” beginners whose new account is their first. These fresh players can be defeated repeatedly over many games.
Players are reminded that they can now report teammates for suspected smurfing in the post-game of a match.
What’s the problem with smurfing?
Depending on the intention, smurfing is a minor to major problem. This is familiar from other multiplayer games with a ranked system. Well-known streamers create new accounts to quickly achieve a high ranking. In early games, they often encounter fresh players who are just playing their first rounds. These players are ruthlessly overrun by the experienced player, resulting in a terrible gaming experience.
Others just want to play with their friends and not “mess up” their MMR in ranked matches. They create smurfs for playing with friends who have a lower ranking.
Still, others create smurf accounts just to “roll noobs”. Competing as an experienced player against a bunch of beginners can be fun. But only if both parties are on board with it.
That’s annoying: As an inexperienced player, learning a new MOBA like DOTA is not easy. The game has existed for many years and features a selection of more than 100 heroes. To encounter experienced players on the opposing team during this learning phase, who consistently wipe you out, significantly darkens the gaming experience.
What players say: Former LoL pro Mike “Wickd” Petersen writes on Twitter that this new ban rule against smurfs has its pros and cons. “I believe professional players should always have at least 2 accounts. It is crucial that they can try new things on a secret account. For [games in] low Elo, it’s good because it results in fewer unfair matches.”
The player “Inhuman” asks on Twitter: “So if I want to play with my friends who are bad, I just can’t? Unlucky.”
Player Isaac_L95 states on Twitter: “It’s funny to see all the ridiculous excuses and rationalizations for smurfing that people make. I fully support this and hope that more games will follow suit.”
How does it work in other games? In the major battle royale of Fortnite, smurfing is banned. In 2019, Epic Games declared creating smurf accounts to be a bannable offense. It was also about the negative influences that smurf accounts have on the game.
In Blizzard’s shooter Overwatch, they are more relaxed about new accounts. Smurfing is legal in Overwatch. In 2018, the news stated, “Creating new accounts does not violate the rules. Boosting or throwing does, however.” This was explained by Overwatch’s Game Director, Jeff Kaplan, stating: “When you start with a new account and play normally, the matchmaker will quickly rank your skill and pitting you against similar players.”
What do you think about the topic surrounding smurfs? Do you think it’s okay to create these accounts, or should other multiplayer games follow the example of DOTA 2 and Fortnite and make it a bannable offense? Share your opinion on this topic here with us at MeinMMO in the comments and discuss it with other gamers.
