17 Years Later, Riot Games Finally Cracks Down on League of Legends Smurfs

The persistent challenge of smurfing has been a fixture of League of Legends since its debut in 2009.

Riot Games has officially designated “smurfing”—the practice of competing on an account significantly below one’s true skill level—as a reportable offense. This change arrived with the new season’s updated reporting interface, where smurfing is now listed under the “rank manipulation” category, joining other prohibited activities like boosting and wintrading.

Smurfing has disrupted the game’s competitive integrity for over a decade. High-tier players operating on lower-ranked accounts often turn matches into one-sided stomps, creating a frustrating environment for genuine beginners and casual players in the Bronze and Silver leagues.

Historically, Riot took a more lenient approach, acknowledging that players might use secondary accounts to master new champions or roles without risking their primary rank. Furthermore, certain matchmaking limitations once pushed streamers toward lower-tier accounts to maintain consistent content. Riot has now addressed these systemic issues, opting to penalize smurfing while promising to refine lobby balancing through more sophisticated methods.

Source: iXBT.games