Overwatch Player Discovers Unique, Rude Way to Exploit Competitive Placement Ranks

Overwatch has always had an issue with smurfing players in competitive mode, and many fans do not appreciate the abuse of these accounts. Smurfing is when an already skilled player creates a new account, starting over from Level 1 to fly through the ranks, and/or to beat down on unskilled players. 

This presents a problem within the game's competitive mode, as many players lose competitive points after a match against smurfs. Although Blizzard has yet to do anything about this widely distasteful act, one player has discovered a way that smurfing can be worse for new players.

According to one Ricky MLG on Twitter, if players leave all five of their placement matches on a new account, they will immediately be placed in Gold. This is the mid-tier placement for the game, where most legitimate players are placed. However, players in lower tiers, such as silver, may not truly belong where they are placed. 

High ranked teams can lose a massive amount of points if playing against smurfs, not to mention if they lose a key player on their team midway through the match. The losing team members can lose 50+ points, usually dropping them to a lower tier or preventing them from entering the next level. 

On the other hand, winning against a team of "fake" Gold players will only grant the winning team 2-4 points, which is outrageously unfair. No matter how one looks at this new glitch, it makes Overwatch far less appealing to more casual players, not to mention some long-time fans.

Because Blizzard is constantly implementing new updates to their game, many players are hoping that the smurfing exploitation is top priority. Given Overwatch's massive player base across various consoles, many will likely feel less inclined to continue playing if the experience is frustrating and unfair. Additionally, the upcoming sequel may also fall victim to the surfing problem if not addressed before the release, hurting its long-term success.

What the fix might be for these smurfing leavers or when it might come is currently unclear, though it will likely be after the Summer Games 2020 event. Blizzard is aware of the smurfing problem in their game, but many of the "usual" punishments, such as a drop in placements, would be ineffective to many smurfs. 

Some fans have presented the idea of seasonal bans, though this seems unlikely. At the moment, players have to accept that smurfing will be a constant part of Overwatch, not to mention similar rank-based games.

Kieran Mouritsen
Editor, NoobFeed