I still remember the night in mid-January 2025 when I was crawling through the grass on Erangel, certain I had the perfect flank. A single burst from an unseen player ended my match before I could even react. The kill cam showed something impossible: the shooter tracked my head through a ridge, then snapped to a teammate hiding behind a tree two hundred meters away. My squad was furious. That was the moment I decided to report carefully and wait for the weekly banned players list.

The official announcement came a few days later. Investigation period: 2025/01/13~2025/01/19. I opened the notice with cautious hope. The list showed permanently banned accounts, with the first three letters of every nickname replaced by asterisks. Even though I could not see full names, one pattern felt familiar. A player I had reported on January 16 was almost certainly there. Reading that list did something important: it confirmed that reports are not swallowed by silence.

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The anti-cheat team does not treat every report as a guaranteed ban, of course. They investigate, compare data, and only then apply permanent bans. The list is not just a wall of shame; it is a transparency tool. The asterisk masking is a fair compromise. It protects identity while still letting honest players see that action was taken.

The Night It Happened

That week taught me a few lessons. First, in-game reports matter. If you see illegal software or misconduct, report it through the game client before anything else. The system collects match data, kill cam evidence, and movement logs that support a ban. Second, if the in-game route is not enough, you can contact PUBG Support for additional help. I did not need that step that week, but knowing it exists gives me confidence. Third, protective measures are essential. The notice specifically reminds players to sign up for Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator. An account that gets hijacked can be used for cheating, and then the original owner may face a permanent ban. That thought is terrifying.

Here is a quick breakdown of the process I now follow after every suspicious encounter:

Step Action Why it matters
1 Watch the kill cam and record details Helps you avoid false reports
2 Use the in-game report button Sends match data to the anti-cheat team
3 Note the date and server Makes it easier to cross-check weekly lists
4 Check the official banned players list Confirms whether action was taken
5 Secure your Steam account Prevents your own account from being abused

By 2026, I still see these weekly notices appear with the same structure. The dates change, the number of banned accounts rises and falls, but the message remains consistent. I do not expect a perfect game without cheaters; that would be naive for any online shooter. But I do expect a visible response, and that is exactly what the banned players list provides.

Why the Asterisks Matter

Some players ask why the nicknames are partially hidden. The answer is simple: privacy. A permanent ban is a serious punishment, but publicly exposing a full nickname could lead to harassment or mistakes if a clean account uses a similar name. The first three letters being replaced by asterisks is a small design choice that keeps the process responsible.

There is also a broader lesson about account security. I used to ignore Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator because it felt like an extra step. After reading the notice and hearing about a friend whose account was stolen and later banned for cheating, I changed my mind. The setup takes only a few minutes. Open Steam, go to your account security settings, and enable the mobile authenticator. Confirm through the app, and your account is much harder to hijack. Yes, it adds a few seconds to login, but I would rather spend those seconds than lose years of progress.

The emotional arc of that January week was real. I started angry, opened the ban list with skepticism, and ended with a quiet respect for the anti-cheat team. They cannot catch everyone instantly, but they are clearly working. The list is proof. It is not hidden in a private email or a support ticket; it is published for the community.

So if you are a regular player like me, do not stop reporting. Do not assume your report disappears into a void. Check the weekly banned accounts when they are published. Protect your own account with every tool available. A fair gaming environment is not built by developers alone; it is built by players who report, stay informed, and refuse to tolerate cheating.

Thank you to the PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS Anti-Cheat Team for continuing that fight.