Ahead of the inaugural PUBG esports season, developer PUBG Corp. has issued another official ruling on professional players that were caught cheating – this time, it involves those in the PUBG Europe League (PEL).
In December, four competitive players were issued with three-year bans from the National PUBG League following investigations that proved they had cheated via use of an unauthorised program.
12 players have been addressed in an official statement from PUBG Corp., ten of which had received in-game bans due to the use of an unauthorised program. The developer investigated and verified that these bans were righteous, with evidence that six of these players used the same program in a professional capacity – they have all been dealt with a three-year suspension. The four players that ‘only’ used the program in public matches have received a two-year suspension.
Two members of the team ‘Sans domicile fixe’ have also received a three-year suspension as they knew about teammates using the unauthorised program during the qualifying event for the PEL. Subsequently, the team has lost its spot in the PUBG Contenders League – though the organisation itself can compete in future events if it fields an entirely new roster.
Red Diamonds and Pittsburgh Knights will retain their places in the PEL if they replace the players that have been banned: S1D and TEXQS, respectively. Other players that have been suspended include the following:
- Avalon
- Smitty
- Papaya
- Cabecao
- swalker
- zuppaa
- Houlow
- sezk0
- THZ
- Fr_Steph
PUBG Corp. has announced that before any future official competitions, all players that are set to compete will be subject to a “comprehensive background check” and if any players are found to have evidence of cheating, they will receive a suspension and be illegible to compete.
Professional leagues are part of the developer’s five-year esports plan, which aims to boost the Battle Royale title into the competitive realm in a meaningful way. Nine regions – including North America and Europe – are part of the first official PUBG esports season.
Esports Insider says: Two or three years feels like a lifetime in esports, especially when the game you’re banned from is uncertain to be around when your suspension is lifted. It’s encouraging, and only right, to see PUBG Corp. punish those who choose to cheat to gain an advantage in any way. We just hope the background research that has been announced is thorough.
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