9 Ways Video Games Punished Rage-Quitters

7. The Deserter Penalty - Smite

Smite Deserter Penalty
Hi-Rez Studios

Smite is one of those multiplayer games that is massively affected by players dropping out before the end of the game, so it stands to reason there would be a pretty brutal punishment for rage-quitting players - and there is.

The Deserter Penalty is doled out to any player who leaves a match in progress or a match lobby.

If the game you rage-quit is still in session you’ll be loaded up back in that same game until the match is over. Once it’s ended you’ll be given a time ban and the duration depends on whether the match is ranked and how many times you’ve deserted in a given period. These range from a minimum of a three-minute ban on joining match queues for those who drop out of a casual match and a 20-minute ban for those who abandon a ranked match, up to a one-hour ban or a 24-hour ban if you abandon a casual match four times in one day or a ranked match four times in five days.

It might seem a bit harsh but given that these matches rely on players giving it their all from start to finish, it’s pretty fair.

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Jess has been a journalist and content creator in the games industry for over 15 years and has been WhatCulture's resident Australian import and sorry cop since 2020, upping the quotient of swearing and apologising in WhatCulture Gaming's annual blooper videos considerably. She previously worked at GameSpot for 10 years, most notably hosting GameSpot News in addition to E3 live shows, and PAX panels. She regularly livestreams a variety of games on her 'jessmcdonell' YouTube and Twitch channels and hosts the 'Do It On The Day' podcast. She has won awards for her news and feature work in gaming as well as an accolade for her comedic writing (likely an admin error). She can be found on X at @jessmcdonell and Instagram at @jessicamcdonell sharing her current videogame fixations, industry insights, and videos of her cat, Karma.