What is smurfing in CS2?

A smurf account in CS2, or "smurf" for short, is an additional account created by experienced gamers to play online games as a beginner or under an assumed name. This practice got its name from the first known smurf in the history of video games—a Warcraft 2 gamer named Jeff "Shlonglor" Fraser, who in 1996 created a second account named "PapaSmurf" to deceive less experienced opponents.

By using a smurf in CS2, users can participate in matches with gamers who are significantly less skilled and experienced. Recently, smurfing has become a widespread phenomenon and has been the subject of active discussions in the CS2 community. They dominate ranked matches, and this negatively affects Valve's shooter because beginners get discouraged from constantly being outplayed. Thus, new players have a bad first impression of CS2, which can deter them.

Why smurfs in CS2?

So why do gamers engage in smurfing in CS2? One of the main reasons is account sales. Creating smurf accounts in CS2 for the purpose of selling them to other users has become common practice. Here's how it works: experienced players create new accounts and level them up. Then, when the smurf in CS2 reaches a certain rank or rating, it is sold to another gamer who does not want to play with beginners.

This practice has its pros and cons. For the buyer, it can be a way to save time and effort usually required to achieve a high rating in the shooter. However, smurfing in CS2 also raises moral and ethical questions, as it can lead to imbalance and unfair conditions in the game, where experienced gamers use beginners for their own interests.

Another reason for creating smurf accounts in CS2 is the desire of players to play without serious effort, to relax, and have fun. Experienced players can create smurfs in CS2 to test new strategies, experiment with playstyles, or even just prank friends.

This can create interesting and unexpected moments in the game, as beginners can be less predictable and not follow standard tactics. It can also serve training and learning purposes for gamers who want to improve their skills.

However, such practices can cause irritation among less experienced players. They may feel cheated when they have to face stronger opponents, especially when they are just owners of CS2 smurf accounts.

How to create a smurf account in CS2

Using smurf accounts in CS2 can cause controversy in the community, as it is often associated with a reluctance to play on the main account for fear of losing rating or interest in new gaming challenges. Nevertheless, if you decide to create a smurf account, here's how to do it:

Create a new Steam account: If you don't already have one, you will need a new Steam account, as each Steam account is linked to a unique phone number, and you cannot use it for multiple accounts.

1. Download CS2 and purchase "Prime" status: Then you will need to download CS2 and buy "Prime" status, which opens access to matchmaking and other features of the shooter on the new Steam account. You can do this on the CS2 page on Steam.
2. Play on the new account: Now you can enter CS2 using your new smurf account and start playing. Remember that the new account will start with a low rating, and you will need to go through calibration to get your first rating.
   
3. Finally, keep in mind that using smurf accounts in CS2 should be reasonable and not harm the enjoyment of other gamers. In addition to creating smurfs, don't forget about respect for the gaming community, as well as compliance with the rules and norms of behaviour in the shooter.
   

How smurfing affects gameplay in CS2

Although smurfing may seem to some like an easy way to diversify the gaming experience, it has a profound and negative impact on the gameplay itself and even on the gaming community as a whole.

Smurfs, which are typically experienced players, undoubtedly have an advantage in matches. This often leads to beginners and low-rated players facing relentless and uncompromising opponents, which greatly complicates their attempts to improve their skills in CS2. Instead of learning and growing, they often face unfair defeat.

Smurfs create an imbalance in matches intended for equal conditions. The ranking system, which should match players of different levels, does not always cope with detecting smurfs. This means that gamers, who were supposed to play with equally skilled opponents, instead find themselves up against inordinately strong adversaries.

Constant encounters with smurfs can turn new players away from CS2. Why start playing a game where experienced players consistently beat you? This can lead to a decrease in the number of new users and, consequently, a decrease in the gaming audience.

Players who buy pumped-up smurf accounts in CS2 usually cannot demonstrate outstanding skills at a level corresponding to their rating. This creates a situation where smurfs can become a real burden for their team. Such a player often does not match the level of the match, which ultimately leads to the defeat of the collective.

How to identify a smurf in CS2

Identifying a smurf in CS2 can be a challenging task, but with some practice and attentiveness, you can learn to detect them early in matches. Smurfs create an imbalance and often spoil the gaming experience for other matchmaking participants. Here are some methods that can help you identify a smurf in CS2:

• The first step when suspecting a smurf is to check their Steam profile. If CS2 is the only game on their account or they have less than a hundred hours in the shooter, this may be a sign of a smurf.

• If the suspected player looks disproportionately strong compared to the rest of the match participants, this can also indicate a smurf. Smurfs tend to exhibit impressive skills, lead their team, and make a disproportionately high number of headshots. This is reflected in an excessively high K/D (kill/death ratio).

• Also, look at the user's inventory on Steam. If it's empty, this may indicate a smurf account. Smurfs rarely invest money in skins, as they are more interested in the gameplay process than in collecting.

• If the suspected player's Steam profile has no nickname history, this can also be a sign of a smurf. Smurfs often use anonymous nicknames to hide their identity and avoid linking to the main account.

• Most often, smurf accounts have few or no friends. Smurfs usually play solo and don't make friends with random players.

Ban of smurfs in CS2

Smurf accounts in CS2 can be banned if they receive many complaints from other users. However, this is not always effective.

Steam prohibits the transfer of access to accounts to other users. This means that selling or transferring a smurf account can lead to serious consequences, including account blocking. Smurf owners risk losing access to their main accounts, skins, and other valuable items.

The FACEIT platform has also started to fight smurfs. To increase the fairness of matches, they introduced additional account verification using a passport. This means that players must provide their real data to play in the platform's matchmaking.

Developers can strengthen security measures to prevent the creation of smurf accounts in CS2. This can include stricter phone number verification, identity checks, and other methods that make creating smurfs more difficult.

In conclusion, smurfing in CS2 has a negative impact on gameplay and the community as a whole. Finding balance and fairness in Valve's shooter is becoming increasingly difficult due to the practice of smurfing. To maintain a healthy and enjoyable gaming environment, gamers and developers should take a closer look at this problem and take steps to solve it.