Smurfing
Using a secondary low-ranked account to play against less-experienced opponents.
“Smurfing ruined the beginner bracket because veteran players dominated every match.”
The term focuses on the behavior rather than the account itself.
Smurfing derives from smurf, a gaming identity-hiding term that began in the Warcraft II community.
rank smurfing
Manipulating ranked matchmaking with a smurf.
alt-account smurfing
Using an alternate account for the behavior.
reverse boosting
Related deliberate rank lowering.
Is smurfing cheating?
It may not involve hacks, but it can violate fair-play or account rules.
How is smurfing detected?
Games may compare performance, account age, mechanics, and matchmaking patterns.