news

Are You Allowed To Smurf In League of Legends?

Whether you want to learn new champions in a more relaxed environment or simply play competitively with lower-ranked friends - smurfing in League of Legends is an incredibly popular practice these days.

However, popular as it may be, many LoL players find themselves wondering whether or not smurfing is safe in League.

So to debunk a slew of misconceptions and give you a solid answer once and for all, today we'll be covering the topic of smurfs and how well they play within the game's terms of service.

Let's dive right in!

What Is Smurfing In LoL All About?

In a nutshell, smurfing is the practice of higher-ranked or better-skilled players playing on low-level accounts with lower-skilled opponents. And while its roots definitely weren't geared around abusing the inherent level or skill difference - in today's LoL ecosystem, smurfing has become one of the most controversial elements of the game.

With overwhelming numbers of players standing on both sides of the debate as to whether or not smurfing is fair play and should be allowed, there has been lots of dialogue to weigh in on the topic.

What Types Of Smurfs Are There?

Surprisingly, smurfs can actually be divided up into two main categories or types if you will.

First of all, there are low-level smurfs. These are the players who may have garnered somewhat of a reputation or following and want to unwind with some less competitive gameplay. On the flip side, these may also be players who want to play competitive matchmaking on new accounts with their friends who are also new to the game.

The second type of smurf is the ELO smurf. While there are certainly often highly skilled players that want a secondary account to climb quickly, learn new champions and practice against a wider pool of opponents - these accounts are generally used with malicious intent to "pubstomp" other players' games and consequentially, ruin their gameplay experience.

What Is The Developer's Stance On Smurfing?

With an overwhelming amount of smurfs flooding normal and ranked games alike, the practice has garnered all too much attention from both the players on either side of the debate, as well as Riot themselves.

In fact, the issue has become so widespread that there is even a specialized segment dedicated to smurfing in their support blog. And over time, they've taken an official stance as well.

Over the last few years, Riot has been hard at work on improving the gameplay experience and removing toxic and malicious elements from the League of Legends ecosystem. And smurfs are certainly one of them.

However, not all smurfs are inherently there to ruin other players' gameplay. This is definitely something that Riot understands. And as such, they have clarified that they are removing players that have been found to be griefing their teammates and deliberately impacting others' games in a negative manner.

So, Is Smurfing Allowed In League Of Legends?

The short answer is yes! Smurfing is not directly against the game's policies. However, you should not be smurfing with the intent of ruining others' games. Griefing and toxic behavior are violations of the code of conduct, which can easily result in a ban.

So with that said, enjoy the game and smurf away to your heart's content!