Vietnamese players TanVuu (L) and Himass at the 2026 PUBG Asia Stars. Photo by PUBG Asia Stars

On Wednesday, KRAFTON issued a formal decision to permanently ban Vietnamese players La Phuong Tien Dat, known as Himass, and Tran Tan Vu, known as TanVuu. The announcement immediately sparked a wave of outcry among domestic fans.

The controversy erupted on Sept. 17 when South Korean female gamer Soopi accused Himass and TanVuu of cheating during a match. The organizers immediately disqualified the two Vietnamese players from the remainder of the competition and revoked their PUBG Vietnam Partner status.

On Tuesday, KRAFTON acknowledged that it had rushed to announce unverified information regarding the incident. A day later, the publisher issued an apology for the errors but proceeded to ban two Vietnamese players.

KRAFTON alleged that the two players used information from outside the game while matches were in progress to benefit their tactical decisions. The publisher stated that this behavior violated the operational policies of PUBG.

According to KRAFTON's conclusion, Himass and TanVuu watched the livestreams of other participants to gather tactical information that would otherwise be inaccessible during standard gameplay. This behavior, commonly known as stream sniping, involves monitoring an opponent's live broadcast to gain an unfair advantage during the game.

After cross-referencing official livestream footage, participant video recordings, in-game data and match replays, KRAFTON confirmed the violations. The publisher also stated that it had investigated similar suspicions regarding other tournament players but found no further cases requiring disciplinary action.

KRAFTON affirmed that it has never officially authorized players to watch others' livestreams or use external information during competition. The organization noted that this rule applies to all tournaments and events, regardless of the prize pool size or the nature of the competition (in this case is an exhibition).

Based on the results of the investigation, Krafton decided to permanently ban the PUBG: Battlegrounds accounts of both Himass and TanVuu. Both players will also be permanently banned from competing in all official tournaments organized or sanctioned by KRAFTON worldwide, Seoul Economic Daily reported.

This penalty means Himass and TanVuu are no longer eligible to participate in major events within the PUBG Esports ecosystem. However, KRAFTON stated that the players have the right to formally appeal the decision in accordance with standard esports regulations.

Notably, KRAFTON also acknowledged its responsibility in handling the incident. The publisher admitted to failing to provide clear guidance and enforcement measures when the incident first arose, noting that it communicated regulations in a delayed and inconsistent manner, according to Chosun Daily,

KRAFTON extended apologies to the participating teams, players and individuals directly affected by the incident. The publisher stated that it is reviewing its entire operational, investigative, notification and decision-making processes to identify problems.

The 2026 PUBG Asia Stars is an exhibition tournament organized by KRAFTON. The event brings together 48 players, including PUBG Partners and streamers representing six Asian regions, to compete across various modes over three days, accumulating points to determine rankings for a total prize pool of $70,000.