Smurfing Officially Banned in League of Legends: Over 15 Years Waiting
Smurfing in League of Legends is now officially considered a violation. In the new season, Riot Games has categorized it as "rank manipulation" in the complaint menu, alongside boosting and win trading.
Previously, developers were tolerant of smurfing, acknowledging legitimate reasons: such as testing new content without risking one's rank or long matchmaking times for high-ranking streamers. Now, Riot states that they have removed technical limitations for streamers and will balance their lobbies in other ways.
Thus, the main reason experienced players created low-level accounts—to gain easy victories over newcomers in lower leagues—has become grounds for punishment.