What is Smurfing? The Weird Story Behind Online Gaming's Secret Accounts

If you've ever played a competitive game online, you've probably encountered someone in match-making who is a little too good to be playing within your rank. Well, chances are high that you've just been dunked on by a smurf account. But where did these annoying pests come from? And when did people start "smurfing"? Well it all started in 1996…

Written & Hosted by: Josh Bury (@ThrownGauntlet)
Shot & Edited by: Miles Hackett (@MilesHackett)
Illustrated animations by: Christian Pearson (@Chr_Pearson)
Closed-captioning by: Sebastien Martin-Schultz

Footage, Audio and Image credits:

All Footage and Image properties of The Smurfs courtesy of Hanna-Barbera Productions
https://youtu.be/vTRg0mwJ0bg?t=2485

All visual properties of Warcraft II & Overwatch courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment

ScreaM smurfing clip
https://youtu.be/5x84cyZ8G70?t=59
Courtesy: Twitch.tv/ScreaM

A Day in The Life of a CS:GO Smurf!
https://youtu.be/vJMAADMw3AM?t=81
Courtesy: MojoOnPC

IDDQD Smurfing footage
https://youtu.be/1I0zZiXbzWg?t=1973
Courtesy: Twitch.tv/iddqd

Celine Dion - It's all Coming Back To Me Now
https://youtu.be/pDxoj-tDDIU
Courtesy: Epic-Columbia Records

Toronto Promo
https://youtu.be/ZQaYfwnFA_0
Courtesy: City of Toronto

Men's 100m Final Atlanta Olympics 1996
https://youtu.be/saa3SA-2dTY?t=300
Courtesy: CBC

Boy Meets World Intro Season 4
https://youtu.be/aSL3Y4ATSns
Courtesy: ABC

NBA Hangtime (1996) Gameplay (Sega Genesis/Mega Drive)
https://youtu.be/_JBE-D_Q4kI?t=726
Courtesy: MfaRec

Independence Day clip
https://youtu.be/vjFG-4Ge668?t=128
Courtesy: 20th Century Fox

Black Street - No Diggity
https://youtu.be/vjFG-4Ge668?t=128
Courtesy: Interscope

Seinfeld Soup Nazi clip
https://youtu.be/vjFG-4Ge668?t=128
Courtesy: NBC Studios

Spice Girls - Wannabe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJLIiF15wjQ
Courtesy: Virgin Records

Kazaam clip
https://youtu.be/ZA9AtHjJxWM?t=93
Courtesy: Touchstone Pictures

Bill Clinton Victory Speech
https://youtu.be/ekxTVXCHSo8?t=2080
Courtesy: William J Clinton Presidential Library

Mission Impossible clip
https://youtu.be/ar0xLps7WSY
Courtesy: Paramount Pictures

Hollywood Hogan WCW intro
https://youtu.be/ar0xLps7WSY
Courtesy: WWE

QuakeWorld 1996 footage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXw6BkZ-gdY
Courtesy: Nick Breckon

Nintendo64 Commercial
https://youtu.be/Up9jO2l2wqo
Courtesy: Nintendo

First DVD Sale in Japan
https://youtu.be/pZePwxayJ18?t=154
Courtesy: Global SciTech

Warcraft II Trailer
https://youtu.be/DwaSQZTOROM
Courtesy: Blizzard Entertainment

All Warcraft 2 Gameplay Footage courtesy of FrostbittenWarcraft:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCakXKOGoRoAOCaYTGemfO0Q

Dungeon Keeper One footage
https://youtu.be/Qs3xK_0KFDc
Courtesy: Grass Hopper

Geoff Fraizer of Blizzard interviewed on CBS
https://youtu.be/zoiw__3UKeo
Courtesy: CBS

500 Days of Summer spit-take
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW5_ZUFaKEw
Courtesy: Dune Entertainment

Austin Powers Radar Jokes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Music used under license from Associated Production Music LLC (”APM”).

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