Fortnite players claim smurfs are gaming the victory crown system

Cande Maldonado
Fortnite player using the Victory Crown emote to show off their matchmaking skills

Fortnite players suspect smurfing is inflating victory crowns in easy lobbies, stirring frustration and debate within the community.

Fortnite uses a Skill-Based Matchmaking system designed to create balanced and competitive matches. This system aims to pair players of similar skill levels in modes such as Solos, Duos, Trios, and Squads.

Whether you’re playing Zero Build, Battle Royale, or Reload, the goal is to win. Winning a match earns you a Victory Crown, which you can show off with the Victory Crown emote. If you have no Victory Crowns for the season, the number displayed on a pillow will reflect that.

Over on Reddit, some players voiced concerns about others exploiting the matchmaking system to boost their crown counts. Reports suggested that players are manipulating the system through smurfing.

One player shared their experience, saying, “In my first match of the season, I was put up against someone who had 219 victory crowns. After eliminating me, they showed off their crowns with the Donkey Laugh and Take the L emotes.”

Another player explained why this happened, “Players smurf and/or manipulate matchmaking to get easy lobbies.”

They explained that this can be done by creating a secondary account and intentionally performing badly to land in less challenging lobbies, or by putting a low-stat alt account in their party to play beneath their actual skill level.

With many Fortnite players already frustrated at the stale state of the game, dealing with constant smurfs will only add to player angst. The community has also derided the introduction of the Cybertruck, meming the durability of its windows.

Fortnite’s Chapter 5 Season 3 is nearing its mid-August end, bringing a close to a vehicle meta that even Ninja criticized as being “for losers.”