Multi-accounting is a situation in which the same person stands behind several user accounts. A second account is not always a violation in itself: a player may create a separate account for friends or for another region. Problems begin when the extra accounts are used to gain an advantage that the rules do not allow.
Why people create multiple accounts
The motives vary, and the more serious they are, the stricter the platforms' response:
- Ban evasion. A player is punished, creates a new account, and returns to the game. This is one of the most common reasons developers tie penalties not only to the account but also to the hardware.
- Rating boosting. One person plays on several accounts to raise one of them faster or to "tweak" results in the desired direction.
- Playing with oneself. A player joins one match from two accounts, or deliberately puts them together in the same game, in order to pass wins or losses between them.
- Farming rewards and bonuses. If items or bonuses are given out for logging in, registering, or in-game achievements, multiple accounts are used to claim them over and over.
- Entering tournaments and qualifiers under a different name. Organizers forbid one person from competing under different nicknames, because it distorts the bracket and the fairness of the competition.
How it differs from smurfing
A smurf is an experienced player who plays on a new, low-rated account in order to face weaker opponents. Multi-accounting is a broader concept: it refers to the very fact that one person has several accounts, and the goal can be anything. A smurf is a special case of multi-accounting, but not the only one. There is a separate article on smurfing.
How it is combated
Platforms and tournament organizers use several approaches. Accounts are linked to a phone number or a verified email, and some services require identity verification. Behavior is analyzed: shared devices, networks, similar playstyle, and odd patterns in match results. Serious violations end in a ban on all linked accounts, and sometimes in a ban from tournaments. The strictest form of hardware-based punishment is described in the article on the HWID ban.
How to tell the ordinary from the prohibited
A simple rule: if the additional account gives no unfair advantage and does not violate the terms of service of the specific game or platform, there is usually no problem. But every service has its own rules, and in competitive leagues and tournaments they are, as a rule, stricter than in ordinary matches. So before taking part in any league, it is worth reading the regulations: many organizers state outright that it is one person, one account.