[REVISION HISTORY]

PUBG Asia Stars 2026 cheating controversy and regional bans

Updated 6 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-26 14:14 UTC → 2026-09-28 04:46 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The PUBG Asia Stars 2026 tournament ended prematurely following a cheating scandal involving professional players Himass (Lã Phương Tiến Đạt) and TanVuu (Trần Tấn Vũ). An investigation by publisher KRAFTON confirmed the players engaged in ‘stream sniping’—using external information from other participants’ broadcasts to gain tactical advantages. In response, KRAFTON issued permanent professional bans to both players, which include locking their accounts and barring them from all official professional PUBG Esports tournaments globally. KRAFTON admitted to operational failures, citing a lack of transparency regarding regulations and inadequate communication with teams. While investigations confirmed the players received information from online chat, they did not definitively prove the players actively used it to gain a tactical advantage, and the tournament rules at the time lacked specific prohibitions against receiving information from chat. This led to accusations of a ‘hastily announcing information that had not been fully verified.’ The disciplinary actions triggered massive backlash, particularly in Vietnam, where an online petition titled ‘Justice For PUBG VN’ has gathered over 4 million signatures. Supported by prominent streamers, the community launched a widespread boycott. Consequently, PUBG PC has removed its official social media presence in Vietnam, and the PUBG Vietnam Series 2026 (PVS) Phase 2 has been indefinitely postponed. Himass has since announced his retirement from professional PUBG PC esports. The controversy has expanded internationally, drawing criticism from communities in China and Thailand regarding enforcement consistency. In South Korea, the impact reached commercial sectors as the football club FC Seoul announced it would withdraw its PUBG-branded pop-up store from an upcoming event due to fan concerns. The backlash in Vietnam has intensified, with gamers uninstalling the game and leaving negative Steam reviews.

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