There's a phenomenon that one might not realize is occurring in Pokémon Unite, but that is the case, even if it's imperceptible. It might affect those who are of lower ranks, but as time goes by, it might encroach those of higher ranks as well. As indicated by the title, that phenomenon is called "smurfing" as performed by "smurfers". It's not necessarily a good one, and it may affect things in different ways. As such, a friend and I have taken some effort of trying to hunt them down, and while we can't conclusively pin them down, there are signs that they do exist.
On the match results screen, it is possible to tap on the Trainer names to check out their profiles, and if things work out, those profiles should display. If not, one will be presented with a little message that says that the profile cannot be displayed because the Trainer has set the profile to be private. A "smurfer" will likely have set the profile to be private, hidden from prying eyes. Aside from checking profiles, as with bots, they might have strange names and might not respond to a "good job" by a thumbs-up (or give out one in the first place), though this is a little more dicey.
Who are "smurfers"? They are players (Trainers) who use an alternate "little" or "small" account in order to boost themselves - and possibly others - up in rank. This is a natural thing, of course, given that lower ranks tend to be given easier opponents, and that is exactly the purpose of those "little" or "small" accounts for others of concern. Pokémon Unite is certainly not the only (MOBA) game in this regard, as other games of similar caliber also have their "smurfing" problem; the only thing that is different is that the other games have dealt with them, while Pokémon Unite hasn't. Yet that's also a point of contention.
My friend stresses that the "smurfer" issue is an important issue, on par with the usual issue of idling or "AFK" players, whose presence is not to be discussed due to their familiarity. Still, some of my other friends only consider the issue as "lukewarm", seemingly of little effect to them (being that the impact of idling players is much more serious and more severe than the "smurfer" issue, even with all mechanisms in place). My position is that any Pokémon issue of any magnitude, including this one, may deserve to be brought up, which is why I've taken this post to do so.
Lots of things go on in the workings of Unite, some obvious and others less so. It may be that "smurfers" represent the part of those workings that are not so obvious, yet still does exist and may need to be addressed to a certain capacity, especially if telltale signs of them may be present as above. Whether others consider it a grave issue or not is something else entirely, but if it has become keen to be detected like it has been for my friend, then it may just have some weight for its resolution, most likely to keep rank progression from being too mechanical - even if it already seems as such, moreover with this phenomenon.
One year ago: On the Two Sweepers and Cleaners
Two years ago: Cosplay: "Pass-the-Time" Contest
Three years ago: Love and All
Four years ago: Performance Critique: INOCHI 2019 Sing Cover
Five years ago: Getting Social with Cosplay
Six years ago: Console Renewal?
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