VALORANT's Smurfing Problem

Valorant players have been voicing their frustration, saying the game has become less fun at lower ranks because of the growing number of smurf accounts.

Climbing the ranks in Valorant is already a challenge, but dealing with smurfs makes it even harder. Smurfing isn’t a new issue in gaming—it’s when high-level players create new accounts to play in lower ranks.

While some smurfs simply want to team up with friends at lower levels, others use these accounts to dominate matches and ruin the experience for others.

For many players, facing smurfs feels like hitting a wall. They struggle to make progress while constantly going up against players who are clearly more skilled but hiding behind new accounts.

TenZ Talks About Riot's Placement System

Adding to it, Riot seems to make some questionable decisions that also result in unfair matchmaking. TenZ asked Riot for an account 

He asked Riot for a new account in the region he's in (temporarily) and he was handed out an account that placed Gold.

This only adds up to the problem as instances like these will increase the amount of matches where a literal pro player, will cruise through low elo.

Smurfing is Turning Players Away

Recently, many players have said the problem is worse than ever, especially in lower ranks, and it’s making them lose interest in the game.

One Reddit user, ITellMyselfSecrets4, shared their experience: “I’ve been stuck around Silver 2 and Gold 1 for a while, and almost every match has a Bronze or even Iron player dropping insane scores like 27-5. It’s miserable how many smurfs there are in low ranks. Low ELO feels unplayable right now.”

And that's one of many. While Riot are already doing efforts to combat smurfing, it probably will be a long while before we can see it tone down.