Krafton’s PUBG hit by bans, esports pause in Vietnam

Krafton has tightened enforcement around PUBG: Battlegrounds in Vietnam, issuing lifetime bans to Vietnamese players La “Himass” Phuong Tien Dat and Tran “TanVuu” Tan Vu on September 23 for stream-sniping and postponing remaining PUBG Vietnam Series 2026 matches on September 24.

The incident originated on September 17 during PUBG Asia Stars 2026, an exhibition event, when the two players were accused of using information from an opponent’s livestream mid-match. Both were removed from the rest of the event. Krafton later acknowledged shortcomings in how the matter was handled and communicated.

After reviewing official broadcasts, participant footage, in-game data and match replays, Krafton concluded the players used external information during competition. Their PUBG accounts were permanently banned and lifetime bans were imposed from all Krafton-sanctioned tournaments worldwide. Appeal rights remain in place. The company plans to review its investigation, notification and decision-making procedures.

Tournament operations were affected. The final day of PUBG Asia Stars 2026 was canceled with no final ranking recognized. The reported $70,000 prize pool was split among participating regional teams.

The bans prompted pushback in Vietnam. Popular streamer Độ Mixi publicly removed the game from his computer. Other players, content creators, esports clubs and internet cafés announced boycotts or said they would remove the game from their venues.

At the same time, the game’s legal footing in the country has drawn attention. As of September 22, the PC version of PUBG: Battlegrounds did not hold an official publishing license in Vietnam. The PC game is sold through international storefronts such as Steam and Epic Games Store, while PUBG Mobile operates under a local license through VNGGames. Despite this, Vietnam has hosted an established PC competitive scene for years, including the PUBG Vietnam Series run with local operator 500Bros.

Esports scheduling in Vietnam has been disrupted. PUBG Esports removed PVS 2026 Phase 2 from its calendar, then on September 24 postponed all remaining matches until further notice. No reason was provided and no new date has been set, with updates expected once a revised schedule is confirmed.

Krafton’s Vietnamese social channels have gone offline, including local Facebook, Instagram and YouTube accounts. The company has not linked these changes to the disciplinary case or to licensing matters.

There has been no official order to block PUBG on PC in Vietnam, and neither Krafton nor local authorities has announced a withdrawal of the PC game from the market.

The developments come as the series continues to perform financially. Krafton reported a 25% year-over-year increase in PUBG franchise revenue in the first half of 2026.

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