Smurfing Becomes a Crime in League of Legends After 17 Years

Smurfing, the practice of playing on an account with a skill level lower than your actual rank, is now officially a punishable offense in League of Legends. This historic decision by developer Riot Games arrives in January 2026, surprising the community after nearly two decades of this behavior being tolerated. The announcement comes directly inside the game through a new report category called "rank manipulation." As a result, players caught creating or using secondary accounts to dominate lower-ranked lobbies could face penalties, which have yet to be disclosed by the company.

Riot's move aims to tackle one of the biggest sources of frustration in the community. Having a professional or high-Elo player in a low-rank match, such as Bronze or Silver, completely ruins the experience. Because of this disparity, legitimate opponents in that skill bracket have almost zero chance of winning, making the match unfair and unfun. This policy shift was made possible thanks to the recent return of duo queue in the highest ranks—one of the old justifications for smurfing, which allowed streamers and friends to play together.

How Will the Punishment Work and Why the Confusion?

Despite the new report option, Riot has not yet officially detailed the penalties or how the rule will be enforced. This lack of clarity is the main reason for the divided opinions. However, the presence of the powerful Riot Vanguard kernel-level anti-cheat on PC could be a crucial tool for identifying multiple accounts belonging to the same user, making it much harder to hide smurfs.

On the other hand, a theory circulating within the community suggests that the new report category might be purely symbolic, similar to the old "Unskilled Player" option, which served more as a vent for frustration than actual enforcement. Meanwhile, many players are celebrating the move in hopes of a fairer online experience. Still, some content creators and casual players are concerned, as they used secondary accounts to practice new champions without hurting their main account's rank.

Ultimately, the real impact of the new policy will only become clear in the coming months. It all depends on how Riot balances combating abuse with the legitimate needs of its player base. The community is anxiously awaiting an official statement explaining the criteria and penalties, hoping the game becomes a more balanced environment for everyone in 2026.