Hey everyone, I'm a seasoned PUBG player and competitive gamer. It's 2026, and while we're still dropping into Erangel, the fight against cheaters continues to define our experience. Recently, I found myself looking back at one of the most talked-about ban waves from November 2025 — and honestly, it still hits hard. That massive purge was a wake-up call for the whole community. Let's unpack what happened, why it still matters today, and how you can protect your account and your sanity in 2026.

Back in November 2025, the PUBG Anti-Cheat Team shared a detailed list of permanently banned accounts for the period 2025/11/10 to 2025/11/16. The volume was so overwhelming that they had to present it as an image. Here's a glimpse of that historic list:

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The first three letters of each nickname were replaced with asterisks to maintain a shred of privacy, but the sheer scale of the list made one thing crystal clear: the cheating problem was gigantic. It made me ask, and still makes me wonder in 2026 — how many cheaters are still slipping through? The answer is still concerning, but I can confidently say that the anti-cheat systems have grown far more robust since then.

The vast majority of those permanent bans targeted players using illegal software. We're talking about the whole arsenal of unfair advantages: aimbots that snap instantly to heads 🎯, ESP hacks that reveal every enemy location, no-recoil scripts that turn any weapon into a laser beam, and even speed hacks that warp physics. Some accounts were also banned for misconduct — like teaming in solo matches or spewing abusive chat. As someone who has personally filed hundreds of reports over the years, I can't emphasize enough how critical the in-game reporting system is. Did you know that every single report you submit feeds into machine learning models that flag suspicious behavior patterns? Even in 2026, this community-driven intelligence remains the backbone of cheat detection. So the next time you hit that report button, remember you're not just venting — you're actively helping to train the AI that keeps the game fair.

One detail from that November 2025 announcement that still echoes loudly today is the emphasis on Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator. Why is this so important? Because countless legitimate accounts have been hijacked and then used by cheaters. If your account is compromised, you could lose everything — or worse, find yourself permanently banned for something you never did. I have a friend who ignored this advice and woke up to a VAC ban in early 2026 because a hijacker used his account to test an aimbot. Don't let that happen to you. Setting up Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator takes maybe five minutes. What's stopping you? Seriously — go do it right now if you haven't. 2FA is your first line of defense.

Since that landmark ban wave, PUBG has integrated even more advanced anti-cheat measures. By 2026, we're dealing with kernel-level drivers that monitor system integrity, AI-driven real-time behavior analysis, and hardware-based identification that makes it much harder for cheaters to create new accounts. Yet the cat-and-mouse game never stops. Cheat developers keep innovating, using machine learning themselves to mimic human aim and avoid detection. The November 2025 list is a powerful reminder that vigilance must be constant. The Anti-Cheat Team's promise — “We will do our best to provide a fair gaming environment” — still holds true. They've been transparent, publishing these ban lists periodically ever since, and in 2026 we can see the results in more stable, legitimate matches.

So what can you, as a player in 2026, actually do? First, continue to report cheaters through the in-game tool every single time. If you encounter a particularly complex issue, don't hesitate to contact PUBG Support. Second, keep your Steam Guard active — ideally with the mobile authenticator. Third, stay informed about the latest cheat trends. Knowledge is power, and understanding how cheaters operate can help you spot them faster and protect yourself. When was the last time you reviewed your account's security settings? If you can't remember, that's a red flag. Don't wait for a compromise to become a lesson.

The November 2025 ban wave was a massive cleanup, but it also highlighted a truth we must never forget: as PUBG evolves, so do the threats. Every clean match you play in 2026 is the direct result of these ongoing efforts. Let's support fair play together. See you on the battlegrounds — hopefully without a single cheater in sight. 🚫