If you’ve been playing Valorant for a while, chances are you’ve come across the term ‘smurfing’ in one or more of your games. But what exactly is smurfing in Valorant?
Contrary to what you might think at first glance, smurfing in Valorant has no relation to ‘The Smurfs’ film series whatsoever.
In fact, Smurfing in Valorant (or any online multiplayer game) refers to the practice of experienced or high-ranked players creating or using secondary accounts to play against less skilled or lower-ranked opponents.
This can be done by players looking to dominate games more easily, trying out new strategies without affecting the main account’s rank or playing with friends in lower ranks.
Smurfing is generally frowned upon in the gaming community as it disrupts the competitive integrity of a game, leading to an unfair experience for newer and lower-skilled players.
Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do if you encounter a Smurf in one of your ranked games. In such situations, your best option is to play the game out and try to learn from the experience of playing with or against a high-ranked player.
Is Smurfing Bannable in Valorant?
While Riot Games has actively banned new accounts that have been botted to level 20, it’s highly unlikely for a player to face a ban simply for using a Smurf account.
In fact, there have been numerous instances of prominent Valorant streamers and professional players smurfing during live streams without facing bans, suggesting you’re likely safe from bans for smurfing in the game.
