@XHelperZ I think hideouts has been very specific on what they are looking out for, regarding smurfs, and it's not bots. Bots is an entirely different issue.
This is still 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 10 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 10 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 and bots etc which is imo actual cheating.
Ranked demotion 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, outlined above. I have learned its not a simple issue.
Bots are not an entirely different issue - it's the same issue as smurfing. Particularly when you can "create new accounts consistently", bots and smurfs accounts flood the game. Adding a telephone number to an account would end bots and smurfing surge. Of course nothing like this will ever happen, because <do EA rant while EA produces Apex Legends>.
@AreYouShivering imo bots are a seperate issue, as they are unable to "farm lower levels", as mentioned by hideouts in their very specific statement.
But I think your idea of making it compulsory to add a confirmed telephone number to accounts is a good one and should be done.
2FA is already something used for EA accounts, if one chooses to enable it, however it is not an account limiting factor at this time.
There is nothing there right now that would stop someone from using the same # for multiple accounts with 2FA.
