Krafton apologized for competitive integrity issues raised during Day 1 of 'PUBG Asia Stars 2026' and announced follow-up measures, including roster adjustments and broadcast delays.
On September 19, Kakao Battlegrounds published the "PUBG Asia Stars Operation and Follow-Up Notice" provided by Krafton. Through the announcement, Krafton stated, "We sincerely apologize for causing concerns regarding competitive integrity and inconvenience during the Day 1 match operations."
Krafton explained that after the matches concluded, it reviewed various concerns raised by players, adding, "We take it very seriously that we failed to provide sufficient trust in the tournament's operation and raised questions about fairness." The company acknowledged that these issues should have been thoroughly checked and prepared for in advance by tournament management, recognizing them as problems stemming from operational shortcomings. Krafton decided to apply the following additional measures starting from Day 2 matches to prevent similar concerns from recurring:
- Roster adjustment for 2 players from certain regions
- Implementation of broadcast delay for key matches
- Re-briefing of operational guidelines to participants
- Enhanced match monitoring
However, the notice did not disclose the specific matches, regions, or player names subject to the roster adjustments. It also omitted details on what exact actions sparked fairness concerns or whether rule violations were confirmed during the investigation process.
The announcement also did not state how long the broadcast delay for key matches would be or which events it would apply to. As a result, it is difficult to conclude based solely on this notice that cheating or rule violations by specific players have been officially confirmed.
PUBG Asia Stars is a regional competition featuring six Asian regions: Korea, China, Japan, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, and Vietnam. Each region formed an eight-player team comprising pro players, PUBG Partners, and streamers.
The tournament takes place over three days on September 17, 19, and 20. Final standings are determined by cumulative points across a total of nine events, including eight Playgrounds modes and an eight-player team Platoon Battle Royale.
Krafton stated that it will strengthen operational standards and inspection procedures so viewers can watch the remaining matches without concerns over competitive integrity.
