Forum Discussion

Re: Do you ever start to Ban smurf?

@Averageapexnoten

This is the current position on smurfing afaik from apex hideouts.

"So does this mean I can get banned for doing the “Solo to masters in all legend”?

" No. This is intended for players that abuse the system and create new accounts consistently to farm lower level lobbies. Having one smurf to do a grind like that will not get you banned"

https://mobile.twitter.com/rspn_hideouts/status/1390020385706364929

The question put to Conor was about a ranked challenge. He replied

"create new accounts consistently to farm lower level lobbies."

To me, it seems to be very specifically about banning farming pub or farming ranked smurfs, who are specifically and persistently wipeing out lower level lobbies for whatever reason. Not ranked challenge smurfs who are passing through.

I used to think all smurfing was bannable, until I saw Hideouts clarification. I don't know why such a distinction was made.

I think they probably are destroying noob lobbies at the beginning, but after a short while they are no longer in noob lobbies. You have to get to level 50 to start ranked, so you have to make some effort to get there quick and would get put on the top lobbies of whatever level you are at, because of that.

How many players actually do a ranked grind to master like that? Not that many I would think.

Idk but there must be a much bigger issue, visible in the data, with a larger number of players creating new accounts on a constant basis, purely to farm noob pub lobbies, constantly ruining those lobbies, probably to ruin the novice experience, much like trolling.


Would they put the effort in to get to level 50 before losing interest and starting afresh?

With the accounts being free, it seems to me to be more of a moral position that has been taken to try and protect genuine new players, as against hacks etc which is imo actual cheating.

Ranked reset itself creates a smurf issue, where I was recently stomped by a premade previous x2 season master trio in silver III.

Changing an account platform creates the same issue, with no cross progression.

Neither could be considered cheating imo.

Smurfing is frowned on but not a bannable offence unless in very specific circumstances. I have learned its not a simple issue.

9 Replies

  • Axs5626Sxa5001's avatar
    Axs5626Sxa5001
    2 years ago

    I’m calling it now, the recent public matchmaking change is going to result in an uptick of smurfs. 

  • LaughingSharko's avatar
    LaughingSharko
    2 years ago

    @Axs5626Sxa5001 wrote:

    I’m calling it now, the recent public matchmaking change is going to result in an uptick of smurfs. 


    Which would support the “bUt yOu gUys jUst wAnT tO sToMp nOobs!” argument that many of us have been making.

  • Axs5626Sxa5001's avatar
    Axs5626Sxa5001
    2 years ago

    @LaughingSharkoWell, people are going to want to play in lobbies other than the one’s they are in. That doesn’t mean they’re looking to exclusively play actual noobs. I don’t support the behavior, but if more people start creating alternate accounts to escape predator level pubs, I actually do understand it.

    Again, I don’t support a predator wiping out 59 other brand new players, but I do support a variety of skills in a non-ranked match/mode.

    Also there surely are some people that just genuinely want to be jerks and crush bad players game after game after game. But that is definitely not the majority of players that I actively discuss matchmaking with. Most just want outcomes in accordance with their deviation from the average skill level.

  • Vdstrk's avatar
    Vdstrk
    Seasoned Ace
    2 years ago
    @OldTreeCreeper
    "I don't know why such a distinction was made."
    Perhaps among those who usually do such challenge are somehow known streamers?
    Just guessing.
  • @Vdstrk

    Idk, but with level 50 now needed for ranked and the 10 placement games, I imagine there are very few of them and they just rise through the ranks very quickly and are not perceived as a problem. 

    How many swap over from one platform to another, again probably not that many, and would quickly be put in higher lobbies in pubs. 

    Ranked now starts everybody off in rookie, again they would go into higher lobbies very quickly. 

    Whereas continually rereging to farm new players is clearly a problem. 

  • hayhor's avatar
    hayhor
    Hero
    2 years ago
    @Axs5626Sxa5001 And then they'll be right back in the extreme lobbies after a few games of stomping noobs. If MM is stricter now it won't take long.
  • hayhor's avatar
    hayhor
    Hero
    2 years ago

    @VdstrkThey put out a statement about smurfing because people were complaining about reporting smurfs and them never being banned.

    The simplest explanation respawn has given is this: People are allowed to make new accounts. But people are not allowed to purposely throw games on those accounts to try and keep them in low level lobbies. What was happening was some smurfs were having a good game and then purposely dying in many games just to get another easy big game. It was a way of circumventing the long term portion of the sbmm equation.

  • Vdstrk's avatar
    Vdstrk
    Seasoned Ace
    2 years ago
    @hayhor interesting. Would reverse boosting also apply to one's main character? Sure one would kinda tank their stats... but who cares about them anyways?
  • BallisticMVP's avatar
    BallisticMVP
    2 years ago

    Why you believe that ? Accounts are dirt cheap you do not really believe they lvl those accounts themself in their off stream time do you ? 

    thoose accounts are usually botted wich means their mmr will be as low as possible and are perfect for such challenges.

    smurfing will be a problem till respawn does something vs botaccounts and account selling 
    @OldTreeCreeper