Riot Games is increasingly focusing on the new Premier mode, which appeared in the game at the end of the summer of 2023. Recently, one of the developers explained how the company is combating smurf players in this promising game mode.

On the official YouTube channel of Valorant, a team member explained in a short video what Riot Games are doing to fight smurfs. According to him, the most important measure is SMS verification, which every participant planning to compete in this mode must undergo. He also mentioned that the Premier mode uses a system similar to the ranking mode. This system tracks players who play at lower ranks even though their MMR is quite high on their main account. Watch the video at the link.

Our ranking game relies on some systems that identify and adjust cases with players who play from different accounts where the MMR is lower than on their primary account. These systems are useful for Premier because the same MMR is used for division draws.

However, the community has reacted somewhat skeptically to these explanations. In the comments, subscribers report that such actions will not stop smurfing. According to them, the developers need to add SMS verification to the ranking mode and introduce a replay system to accurately find smurfs and cheaters.

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Remember that Riot Games plans to integrate the Premier mode into the professional Valorant scene. The developers have announced that in the future, regional leagues will disappear, and the new mode will completely replace them. Thus, young players who plan to try their hand at the professional scene will need to achieve success in Premier, from where they will receive invitations to the Challengers league.