Deadlock community in splits as player complains smurfs are "ruining the game"

The Deadlock community has often voiced its frustration regarding smurfs and increasing toxicity lately, with many players quitting due to the same. This has contributed significantly to Deadlock's all-time low player count — under 10,000 — and the problem seems to be escalating. Since Valve's experimental MOBA shooter game is still in its playtesting mode, the developers have not addressed any of the Deadlock MMR-related issues.

A recent post by u/mathemagician87 on the biggest Deadlock subreddit, r/DeadlockTheGame, complained about in-match smurfs ruining the experience by simply kill-farming and not helping to defeat the Patron. The post gained hundreds of likes and a number of comments.

u/mathemagician87 posted:

"Smurfs dragging games out to farm kills are ruining the game."

Smurfs dragging games out to farm kills are ruining the game byu/mathemagician87 inDeadlockTheGame

The post displays a match result where Yamato and Haze from the user's team had over 30 kills each, yet they lost the match. The user expressed how it was the worst Deadlock experience they've had, and that the abovementioned heroes were apparently smurfs just farming kills.

Interestingly, the top comment was by a supposed opposition player from the same match. They commented that the match was a waste of time and Yamato was too strong.

u/Nebuchadnezzar_z mentioned how this is very common to encounter, where some players are more busy farming kills rather than completing objectives.

Here are their comments:

Comments from the community (Image via Reddit || r/DeadlockTheGame)

Many users were more focused on the K/D ratio of the user who posted the screenshot. The image suggests that the player who posted it had only one kill and 23 deaths. However, it was later clarified in the comments that the screenshot was that of u/mathemagician87's friend.

u/blutigetranen said that this post is not about the poor performance of other players, but the increasing number of smurfs and a bad in-game experience.

u/DoctorProfPatrick also shared a similar view, saying that they won't play the game again unless surrendering becomes an option. As of now, players can only surrender if a player leaves or gets disconnected.

More comments from the community (Image via Reddit || r/DeadlockTheGame)

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How can Valve address smurfing issues within the Deadlock community effectively?

The Deadlock community seems to agree that smurfing is a growing problem in every competitive game and needs immediate action. Players proposed solutions such as stricter account verification, time-gate access, and an enhanced reporting system. Considering how Valve handles smurfing in DOTA 2, similar measures could also be taken in Deadlock.

Do note that the game is still in an early development phase, so there are chances that this will be fixed when the game enters an open beta phase. That said, the game's release date remains unknown.

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