Krafton Permanently Sanctions Two Players for Stream Sniping: "Recognizing Operational Responsibility, Internal Review Underway"

Permanent Suspension of Accounts and Tournament Eligibility

"No Permission Ever Granted for Use of External Information"

Support for Preventing and Remedying Secondary Harm to Participants

Krafton has permanently suspended the accounts and tournament eligibility of two Vietnamese players who committed misconduct during a recent 'PUBG: Battlegrounds' Asia regional event. For participants who were exposed to unfair criticism and harassment, the company will support their recovery and thoroughly review the overall tournament operations.

'PUBG: Battlegrounds'. Provided by Krafton

On September 23, Krafton announced through an official notice that after a comprehensive review of the tournament's official broadcast, participant footage, in-game data, and replays, it had identified violations of its operational policies.

The sanctioned players are Himass (Anyones Legend) and TanVuu (The Expendables). Investigations revealed that during the match, they engaged in so-called “stream sniping” by using other participants' live broadcasts or external information to obtain data not easily accessible through standard gameplay, then leveraging it for strategic advantages.

Krafton stated, “The two players violated not only our operational policies but also the standards of sportsmanship and conduct required of PUBG esports pro players.” The company added, “These sanctions will take effect from the time this announcement is issued.” Krafton also explained, “We examined similar allegations raised against other participants using the same standard, and no further violations requiring additional sanctions were found.”

During the investigation, some participants reportedly claimed they “thought this was not an issue given the nature of the event” or “had been informed in advance that such actions were permitted.” Krafton clarified its position, stating, “At no point in any league or event have we officially allowed players to view other participants' streams or use information acquired externally during matches.” According to Krafton, this is a consistently enforced standard to ensure fair tournament operations, regardless of the prize pool, event type, or participant composition.

Krafton also apologized for causing concerns and confusion during the event, as well as for the long delay in announcing the investigation results. The company commented, “It is clearly our operational responsibility that we failed to provide clear guidance and take appropriate measures in accordance with our principles from the outset.” Krafton added, “We will internally review all aspects of event operations, communications, investigations, and decision-making processes, and take follow-up actions in line with our corporate regulations.” The company concluded, “We will actively support efforts to prevent secondary harm to all participants and aid in their recovery, while continuing to monitor the situation responsibly.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.