Hello,

My name is Yoon Su-jin, Head of PUBG Publishing.

We have caused great confusion and distress to participants and fans through the operation of PUBG ASIA STARS 2026 and our handling of the situation.

On behalf of PUBG Publishing, I sincerely apologize.

KRAFTON bears responsibility for causing and escalating this situation. Our failures are as follows:

  • We failed to establish clear preventive measures, standards for determining violations, and levels of disciplinary action regarding the use of information obtained from outside the game.
  • After the issue arose, we failed to accurately explain the facts and respond appropriately from the outset.
  • When Korean participants and streamers raised concerns about competitive fairness and announced their intention to boycott the event, we described their boycott as a "withdrawal from participation" and moved on without properly addressing the issue.
  • Even afterward, we accepted the limited term "chat play" without adequately explaining the true nature of the actions involved.
  • We failed to maintain consistency in the content and wording of our Korean and Vietnamese announcements.
  • We failed to adequately protect participants and their respective teams, and we did not prevent the controversy from escalating into further harm against individuals.

These were failures in KRAFTON's event management and communication. We will make no excuses.

It has been confirmed that both Himass and TanVuu accessed information from outside the game (stream sniping). Disciplinary proceedings are currently underway, and the results will be announced separately.

KRAFTON bears full responsibility for the management of this situation and our response to it. KRAFTON failed to fulfill its responsibility to accurately establish the facts, communicate them consistently, and protect the participants. As a result, all participants were exposed to personal harm as the controversy escalated.

KRAFTON is responsible for allowing criticism and pressure to become concentrated on individual participants. KRAFTON will bear the criticism and responsibility for this situation.

If participants pursue legal action in connection with this matter, we will faithfully share the materials and findings obtained during our investigation to establish the facts and cooperate fully with the necessary legal procedures. We will also spare no effort in providing support for recovery.

The poor management of this event and the additional burden and suffering imposed on individual participants were the result of KRAFTON's operational failures. As the head of the publishing business, I once again offer my sincere apologies.

I sincerely apologize once again to all participants and fans who have been hurt by this situation.

Thank you.

Yoon Su-jin

Head of PUBG Publishing