PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS anti-cheat team's banned players list highlights ongoing illegal software abuse and urges Steam Guard security.
I am just a regular player. I do not run an anti-cheat lab. But when I stumbled across the PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS anti-cheat team's banned players list for the past week, with an investigation period of 2023/11/13~2023/11/19, I felt a strange mix of nostalgia and rage. Yes, 2023 is basically medieval history in gaming years. It is 2026 now, and yet the same question echoes: why do people still download illegal software just to ruin a chicken dinner for everyone else?
The post was simple. Hello players! The team shared the banned players list from the past week to raise awareness about abuse of illegal software and the consequences of misconduct. They pointed to the list of players banned for violating rules of conduct. That is it. No dramatic music. No villain monologue. Just a public receipt of shame.
And honestly? I love it. 😈
The banned players list attached on the page showed in-game nicknames of permanently banned accounts, with the first 3 letters of each nickname replaced by ''. So instead of learning that AimbotAndy got banned, you see botAndy and you can only guess. It is like a mystery novel where the detective is a server log and the murderer is a guy named *.
Let me imagine the scene. A cheater gets banned. They log in. They see the message. They rush to the list. They search for their nickname. They find ***. And then they realize: everyone can see that someone with the first three letters hidden was permanently banned. It is not exactly a public execution, but it is a public we-know-what-you-did-last-patch.
Is there anything more annoying than dying to someone who can see through walls? Maybe stepping on a Lego. Maybe a mosquito in your ear at 3 a.m. But cheaters are a special category of annoying. They do not just beat you; they make you question every single fight. Did I miss my spray, or did they have no recoil? Did I get outplayed, or did their aim snap to my forehead like a magnet?
The anti-cheat team also reminded us to report illegal software and misconduct through in-game reports first. That is important. If you need additional assistance, you can contact PUBG Support. I used to think reporting was like shouting into a void. But the void apparently keeps a spreadsheet. And sometimes the spreadsheet becomes a banned list. 📋
Then there is the account security part. To ensure your valuable account is not abused or banned for using illegal software or misconduct, the team urged players to sign up for Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator. In 2026, this should be as automatic as brushing your teeth. But if you have not done it, here is the friendly nudge: do it. Now. Before a random hacker in a hoodie uses your account to test a new cheat and gets you permanently banned while you are asleep.
How to set up Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator? I will not paste a link, because I am a responsible article writer and also because I do not want to trigger the link police. But the general idea is: install the Steam Mobile app, log in, find Steam Guard, follow the prompts, enable mobile authenticator, and keep your recovery code somewhere safe. Do not screenshot it and leave it in your downloads folder named important.txt. That is how horror movies start.
Let me make a small table of things I have learned from this banned list:
| Thing | What it means for me |
|---|---|
| Banned players list exists | Cheaters do get caught, eventually |
| Nicknames are masked | Public shame, but with privacy asterisks |
| Reports matter | In-game reports are the first step, not a waste of time |
| Steam Guard matters | Protect your account, or someone else will misuse it |
| Fair gaming matters | The anti-cheat team says they value our interest and opinions |
The post ended with the anti-cheat team saying they highly value our interest and opinions that contribute to PUBG's anti-cheat efforts. They promised to do their best to provide a fair gaming environment. Thank you, PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS Anti-Cheat Team. I mean that sincerely. I also mean it sarcastically when I get headshot through a wall, but mostly sincerely. 🎯
Now, in 2026, I still play. I still report. I still check my Steam Guard. And I still laugh when I imagine a cheater refreshing a banned list and finding their own masked nickname. It is a small joy. But in a battle royale, small joys are sometimes all you get.
So here is my closing thought, dear fellow player: if you cheat, the anti-cheat team has a list, and your nickname might be on it with three asterisks and a permanent goodbye. If you do not cheat, keep reporting, keep your account secure, and keep enjoying the game. Who knows? Maybe one day the only thing hiding in the grass will be an actual player, not a human aimbot with a bad attitude. 🌿🐔