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In gaming, the word “smurf” refers to a player who creates a new low-level or low-ranked account in order to play against weaker opponents.

Key traits of smurfs:

Skilled player disguised as a beginner
Usually, a smurf is an experienced gamer who pretends to be new by using a fresh account.

Unfair advantage
Since their real skill level is much higher than their opponents’, they often win easily, which disrupts match balance.

Motivations

To “have fun” without the pressure of high-ranked games.

To play with friends who are lower level.

Toxic behavior — enjoying dominating beginners.

Where it’s common

The concept of “smurfing” is especially common in competitive online games, such as:

Shooters (CS:GO, Valorant, Overwatch),

MOBAs (Dota 2, League of Legends),

Competitive modes in strategy and card games.

Community view

For newcomers, it’s a negative experience: they end up against much stronger players and lose motivation.

Developers try to fight smurfing with matchmaking systems, account verification (like phone number binding), and bans.