Re: Smurfers galore

@Palette24caratsThey're smurphs in gold lobbies. That's the problem. I did say there were smurphs AND smurphs with Rampages, two different types of smurphs, ones who use Rampages, and those who don't. Both make the climb back to plat difficult.

This is a FULL team of smurphs. Smurphing is considered cheating.

It's really easy to recognize Smurf when you are experienced player. They way they move, strafing, loot, change weapons, kill and run around that kills. Yesterday I played against level 4 or 8 player that was clearly smurfing. 

@ctyf6rri93dm @AreYouShivering @Midnight9746 @Palette24carats @lops3004 

There have been many posts/threads about Smurfing. Is it bannable, yes. Is it hard to detect/identify, yes.

From what others have said in the past and it is my understanding Smurfs are those that create another account and intentionally tank games in order to play and feed off of lower skilled/ranked players.

With that in mind how can you tell the difference from a ToS allowed alternate account? 

Alternate accounts are allowed. Lets say that an X-box player, master/pred skill player on that platform decides to buy a PC and decides to make an account with that PC is that account a smurf account? No it is not. And yes that player is now low level and the change from console to PC or vice versa is not such a skill set change that that player will not be good. So yes they will be low level and ranking up or killing the lobby until SBMM catches up with them and starts putting them in harder lobbies.

What you have all been talking about might in fact be Smurfs but it could also be new accounts, alternate accounts etc.

The level cap of 500 with nothing to gain other than legend tokens encourages making alt accounts. Another reason is that there is currently no cross platform progression. With that in mind a player that has maxed level 500 on one platform and has access to another platform may decide to make a new alt account on the other platform in order to level up gain cosmetics on the new account that they do not yet have on the old account in the hopes that they can merge the accounts and have more stuff since cross progression is supposed to happen this year according to EA.

@Midnight9746 what you said "In a sense, alternate accounts are okay, but also not. Having an account on console and PC is one thing, but I'm not sure if that's what's going on. It doesn't make much sense for someone to smurph and use another platform.".

There are also other reasons to have an Alt account and a main account:

1. Streamers usually have a main and an Alt. Are they smurfing, no.

2. ALGS players also have more than one account. Are they smurfing, no. 

Also and I have been toying with this idea myself. A main account for ranked only and possibly making an Alt account for pubs/warm up. would this be smurfing, I do not think so.

Also due to recent ban waves there are probably many people that were affected and because of their situation had to make new accounts. Recently the top Pred had an account banned, the streamer Taxi had his account banned and I really do think that they made new ones and are back at climbing the ranks and levels . are they smurfs no is it fun to be matched against them as a new player/average or just above average player, no. 

Eventually the new low level accounts will level up/rank up and SBMM will catch up to them and put them in other lobbies as befits their skill.

actual smurfs should be banned, that is those that intentionally tank games to stay at a lower MM to farm. However like I said how can you really tell the difference. 

@StelioRokos True, but by the time you've figured out the level 20 player with 900 kills the damage is kind of done already isn't it?

I honestly don't know the stats at their disposal and analytics available.  I would be shocked if there was not at least one statistician type on the payroll that goes over the numbers of games, engagement, etc and tries to look for anomalies.  

Really good players will naturally be outliers to the rest of the community, but, are there oddities in their play too?  It's a hard problem.  I still believe the problem is the community and not as much EA as there seems to be a not insignificant amount of people who will game the system any way they can so they can win or get lots of kills.  It's a never ending battle and I can't see an easy solution to that.  I won't touch ranked because it is so broken; it's not that they don't care, it's because it's populated by toxic players who will sacrifice everything so they get to have easy kills.  Those people will always exist and find new ways to become toxic every day.  It's a really sorry state of affairs that that is the way it is.