PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS on PC is facing an uncertain future in Vietnam. The country’s top PUBG esports league, the PUBG Vietnam Series (PVS) 2026 Phase 2, has disappeared from the official PUBG Esports schedule. Krafton’s Vietnamese social media channels have also gone offline.
The changes arrived days after the PUBG Asia Stars 2026 controversy involving two Vietnamese players. At the same time, Vietnamese media are reporting that PUBG PC has never held an official license to operate in the country.
So, is PUBG banned in Vietnam? Not officially. Here is what we know so far.
Is PUBG banned in Vietnam right now?
No formal ban has been announced. As of now, neither Krafton nor Vietnamese authorities have officially confirmed a shutdown of PVS or a withdrawal of PC PUBG from Vietnam.
Access is getting harder, though. VietNamNet reports that PUBG PC is already partly blocked, with some local network providers cutting access to Steam, which stops players from downloading the game there. The block appears uneven: some providers still allow Steam access, and the game can still be downloaded from other platforms.
The same outlet says more may follow. Citing its own sources, VietNamNet reported that authorities are working on ways to block the game completely, because operating without a license breaks Vietnamese law.
PVS 2026 Phase 2 removed from the PUBG Esports schedule
PVS is Vietnam’s highest level of PUBG PC competition. The 2026 Phase 2 event is an online A-Tier tournament run by PUBG Corporation and 500Bros, with 16 teams competing for a $44,000 prize pool starting September 4.
On September 23, with about half of the schedule played, PVS Phase 2 was no longer listed on the official PUBG Esports website. Cached search engine pages still showed it as an ongoing event, but the live site no longer does, according to Inven Global. Full event details remain on the Liquipedia page for PVS 2026 Phase 2.
No statement has been issued on whether the remaining matches will be played, moved, or cancelled.
PUBG’s official Vietnam channels deactivated
The league was not the only thing to disappear. Krafton’s local YouTube channel, “PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS VIETNAM,” along with its official Vietnamese Instagram and Facebook pages, have been deactivated.
The YouTube channel previously had around 450,000 subscribers and can no longer be found in search. Before going quiet, the Vietnamese Facebook page told followers to use the global PUBG.COM website for game news going forward.
The PUBG Asia Stars 2026 controversy
The timing links these events to a dispute that started in South Korea. Concerns surfaced after Day 1 of PUBG Asia Stars 2026 on September 17. The Korean side accused Vietnamese players Himass and TanVuu of stream sniping, and the pair were provisionally suspended and replaced from Day 2. Krafton later ended the event early after confirming the two players accessed outside information during matches. The Korea JoongAng Daily covered the early cancellation from the Korean side.
On September 21, PUBG Publishing head Yoon Soo-jin issued an apology on behalf of Krafton and confirmed that disciplinary proceedings had begun. TalkEsport covered Krafton’s full apology over PUBG Asia Stars at the time.
The final ruling followed. Krafton permanently banned Himass and TanVuu after its investigation. Both players lost their PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS accounts permanently and are barred from all official Krafton-run or sanctioned competitions, including PGC, PGS, and PNC.
The decision drew a strong reaction in Vietnam. Well-known creators such as DjChip and Độ Mixi said they would remove PUBG from their streams or showmatches in protest. TanVuu deleted the game during a livestream on September 22 and said he plans to focus on streaming instead of competing. TalkEsport has tracked the backlash from Vietnamese creators and teams in detail.
It is important to separate the two stories. Krafton has not said that removing PVS or shutting the Vietnamese channels was a direct response to the Asia Stars incident.
Why PUBG PC has no license in Vietnam
The licensing issue is separate from the player controversy, and it goes back years.
In Vietnam, only PUBG Mobile has a license for release. PUBG PC has none. The licensed mobile game is Tencent’s version, published locally by VNGGames, while the PC game is published directly by Krafton worldwide. According to VietNamNet’s report on the unlicensed PC version, many local players assumed both games came from the same publisher.
Vietnamese rules are strict here. Online games in the G1 category must meet requirements on legal entity status, a service license, and approval of game content before they can be offered in Vietnam. These rules also apply to foreign companies serving Vietnamese users across borders, so a global Steam release does not count as an exemption.
There are also claims about why no deal happened. A representative of a major Vietnamese publisher told local media that Krafton had talked with Vietnamese partners about distributing PUBG PC, but the talks failed because Krafton wanted the partner to hold the license on paper while it kept operations and revenue. Krafton has not publicly responded to this claim.
This is not the first time the government has acted on unlicensed games. In 2024, after Vietnam asked Valve to comply with local rules, some internet providers blocked the Steam store and its payment features. That block did not stop installed games from running or cut off foreign servers, so PUBG stayed playable.
How PVS ran without a local publisher
PVS worked because the league and the game’s publishing were kept apart. Local agency 500Bros has produced PVS since 2020 and managed the tournament while it sat inside Krafton’s official circuit.
Recent PVS seasons were played online, with players connecting to global servers through platforms such as Steam and the Epic Games Store. That setup needed no Vietnamese client and no permanent offline venue. It also did nothing to solve the licensing gap.
Impact on Krafton
The controversy has also shown up in the market. VietNamNet reported that Krafton’s share price fell 3.41%, from 205,000 KRW at the September 18 close to 198,000 KRW at the end of trading on September 23. The outlet linked the drop to criticism of Krafton’s handling of the tournament. Other market factors may also be involved.
What happens next
Several questions remain open:
Krafton has not said whether PVS 2026 Phase 2 will resume, and 500Bros has not issued a public update. Vietnamese authorities have not confirmed a full block on PUBG PC. It is also unclear whether Vietnamese teams will keep their paths to international events such as PGS and PGC.
PUBG Mobile players are not affected by the licensing reports, since that version holds a valid Vietnamese license through VNGGames.
TalkEsport will update this story when Krafton, 500Bros, or Vietnamese regulators make an official announcement.
FAQ
Is PUBG banned in Vietnam? Not officially. PUBG PC is still playable, but some internet providers have blocked Steam and local media report that authorities are considering a full block.
Is PUBG Mobile banned in Vietnam? No. PUBG Mobile is licensed in Vietnam and published by VNGGames.
Why was PVS 2026 Phase 2 removed? Krafton has not given a reason. The removal followed the PUBG Asia Stars 2026 controversy and renewed reports that PUBG PC operates in Vietnam without a license.
