Creating a new profile to start from scratch and face theoretically weaker opponents is what we call smurfing. This practice can be used for several reasons, some less laudable than others. Explanations.
Normally, when you play multiplayer, you develop your skills and you climb levels. Matchmaking algorithms generally bring together opponents of equivalent levels. Depending on the game, certain options allow you to adjust the limits. This allows us to maintain a certain level of fun and protect newcomers from those who have already established their habits. According to a study conducted by Charles Monge, a doctoral student in communications at Ohio State University, gamers don’t like smurfing but many engage in it.
The study involved 328 people from video game forums on Reddit and a gaming club in Ohio. What they had in common was that they played more than 24 hours a week on average. Charles Monge was able to determine that 69% of participants used this practice from time to time and that 94% thought that others used it sometimes. So why resort to this toxic practice?
Based on the responses obtained, two scenarios really stand out. The first, the most toxic, is the desire to humiliate players who have a lower level. The second, considered more laudable, is that of being able to play with friends who do not have the same level. However, this does not change the situation for opponents who find themselves confronted with a more experienced player, without knowing it at first. In any case, the phenomenon is taken seriously, so much so that Valve has already taken action by banning 90,000 accounts on DOTA 2, all from the smurf.
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