PUBG’s latest anti-cheat update puts the team’s tally at 281,776 pieces of content promoting or selling cheat programs from January through September 2026. It also says the team banned 10,237 accounts confirmed to have evaded bans by changing their hardware identification information (HWID).
Websites accounted for 246,545 reports, online marketplaces for 22,370 and social media for 12,861. Those figures count reports submitted by PUBG, not confirmed takedowns. Each platform reviews the material and decides what action to take.
PUBG says its machine-learning system monitors posts and videos as well as seller accounts and distribution channels. Cheat promotions can reappear in altered forms after a takedown, so the team says it will keep reporting them through each platform’s procedures.
On PC, players had been able to change their HWID and return with a new account, obscuring the connection to a previously banned computer. PUBG now uses two sets of detection criteria based on identifying information that remains consistent despite those changes. The team has updated its identification logic four times since early October 2026 and says it validated both sets of criteria before using them to reduce the risk of wrongly penalizing legitimate players.
Forming a premade team with cheaters to gain an unfair advantage already carries penalties under PUBG’s rules, even if the other player does not use cheat software. Stronger penalties for that behavior are under review. PUBG warns that playing alongside cheaters can also put a player’s own account at risk and advises reporting suspected teammates through the in-game system.
The PC-focused work comes alongside a separate console effort. PUBG’s October 29 console anti-cheat update expanded enforcement to lag-switch abuse and single-fire assist tools.
Which part of PUBG’s anti-cheat response do you think needs the most attention next? For updates on its work against cheat distribution and ban evasion, stay connected on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam and Telegram.
PUBG: Battlegrounds
Developed by PUBG Corp
PUBG: Battlegrounds is a battle royale shooter that pits 100 players against each other in a struggle for survival. Gather supplies and outwit your opponents to become the last person standing.
- Genre Shooter
- Platforms Google Stadia, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox One
- Perspective First person, Third person
- Modes Single player, Multiplayer, Co-operative, Battle Royale
- Release December 20, 2017
- Publisher Bluehole Studio, Microsoft Studios
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Age Rating
