If there’s one thing that gets me genuinely hyped every single week, it’s opening up the latest banned players list from PUBG’s Anti-Cheat Team. And trust me — this week’s wave did not disappoint. I’ve been grinding ranked squads in Erangel for months now, and nothing ruins a perfect dinner chicken run quite like a sus player snapping onto your head through smoke. So when I saw the investigation period covering June 15th to June 21st, 2026, I grabbed my coffee and dove right in.
Let’s be real: we’ve all had those moments where we get deleted by some brand-new account with zero skins, zero achievements, and a Twitch streamer’s aimbot. It’s infuriating. But seeing those asterisks hiding the first three letters of every permanently banned nickname? That’s satisfaction. The official post may mask the full IDs, but the message is clear — if you break the rules of conduct, you’re out. No second chances. No slap on the wrist. Just a permanent ban. And I’m here for it.
What really stood out to me this time is how the team doubled down on the importance of in-game reporting. I can’t stress this enough: if you die suspiciously, report first. Don’t just rage-quit or call hacks in your Discord server. The report system feeds data directly to the anti-cheat algorithms, and every single click helps refine detection models. I’ve personally witnessed multiple ban confirmations pop up days after I reported someone, and it feels like a small victory in the war against cheaters.
Now, about those asterisks. Some people ask, “Why even publish a list if we can’t see full nicknames?” The truth is, the list isn’t just about naming and shaming. It’s a transparency mechanism. Knowing that names are published weekly — even partially redacted — creates a massive deterrent effect. Cheaters who think they’ll slip under the radar suddenly realize they might end up on a public board, and their community reputation (or what’s left of it) goes down the drain. Plus, let’s be honest: we players are detectives at heart. We compare patterns, dates, and server regions. If you see the same partial name cropping up multiple weeks in a row, you know the ban waves are consistently doing their job.
One critical PSA I have to amplify from the official post: please, please enable the Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator. It’s not just about preventing your inventory from getting swiped. Hacked accounts are often used by third-party cheaters who then rage-hack until the account gets banned. Your precious legacy skins, your years of stats, your hard-earned RP — all gone because someone bypassed a weak password. Setting up Steam Guard takes five minutes, and it’s non-negotiable in 2026. Here’s a quick refresher on what you need:
-
📱 Download the Steam Mobile App
-
🔐 Navigate to Account Details > Manage Steam Guard
-
✅ Select “Get Steam Guard codes from my phone”
-
📲 Scan the QR code and link your device
-
🔄 Approve any login attempts directly from the app
If you’ve been putting this off, do it today. I’ve heard too many sob stories from clanmates who suddenly found their accounts banned because they ignored this step. The PUBG Support team can help, but it’s a long road, and prevention is always better than cure.
Beyond the bans, I want to highlight the broader context. The battle royale genre has always struggled with cheat developers who evolve just as fast as the anti-cheat systems. However, seeing weekly lists like this one (dated June 23, 2026) fills me with confidence that KRAFTON is not letting its foot off the gas. The investigation period might be just seven days, but the impact ripples across the entire player base. I noticed cleaner lobbies during my late-night solo vs. squad sessions, and multiple streamers I follow commented on the noticeable drop in obvious wallhackers this past weekend. Coincidence? I think not.
To the Anti-Cheat Team reading this (I know you monitor community sentiment): we appreciate the transparency. We value the weekly updates. And we’re counting on you to keep pushing back against illegal software and hardware exploits. To my fellow players: keep your reports coming, keep your accounts secure, and remember that a ban list like this isn’t just a list — it’s a promise that fairness still matters in Battlegrounds. Stay sharp out there. 🍳