What does smurfing mean in video games? Name origin and reason

If you are playing a competitive online video game and regularly communicate with others, you will likely hear the term “smurfing” thrown around. It will often be used in a case where someone is accusing another player by saying, “that player is a smurf” or “they are smurfing.” What does this exactly mean, and why is it called smurfing?

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What is a smurf in online video games?

A smurf is when a high-ranking player creates a new account so that they can play against players at a lower level without losing progress on their main account. Some people want to play the game against a lower-skilled portion of the game’s community to get some easy wins. Others make a smurf account so their ranked matchmaking doesn’t take as long as it does at the top level. This kind of behavior is most common in games like Overwatch, Rainbow Six: Siege, and really any other kind of competitive game with a ranked ladder system.

It is not only the very top players that smurf, though. Players at an average level have been known to make a smurf account and throw, or purposely lose games, so they would be placed at the very bottom of the competitive ladder where they can begin dominating.

Smurfing is one of the more controversial practices around online gaming. Obviously, it is bad for the lesser-skilled players who want to play against someone at their level. On the other hand, some developers allow players to smurf so they can try new methods in the game without losing progress on their main account. It depends on the game you play and whether the developers support it. Some games will ban you if you are caught smurfing.

Where does the smurfing term come from?

Smurfing began back in the 1990s in Warcraft II. Two players going by the usernames Shlongor and Warp were so good at the game that whenever others saw their names in a lobby, they would leave and not play against them. Matchmaking was not present, so finding lobbies made by other players was the only way to play. Instead of constantly having people leave when they entered the lobby, they created new accounts with the names “PapaSmurf” and “Smurfette.” And that is how smurfing became a term. Since then, it has spread to a much larger scale of online games.