The issue of smurfing has existed since the game's release in 2009.
League of Legends developers at Riot Games have made "smurfing" (playing on an account with a rank lower than the main one) a punishable offense. This change has appeared in the player complaint menu in the new season, where smurfing has been added to the "rank manipulation" category along with boosting and wintrading.
The issue of smurfing has existed since the game's release in 2009. Highly skilled players on low-ranked accounts often turn matches into one-sided games, especially for newcomers in the Bronze and Silver leagues.
Previously, Riot ignored smurfing, acknowledging its legitimate reasons: testing new champions or roles without risking teammates on the main account. In addition, certain matchmaking system limitations forced streamers to play on "Diamond accounts" for content. Now Riot has removed this restriction, promising to balance lobbies in other ways.
