PUBG: Battlegrounds bans the hardware as well as the account. Krafton's Rules of Conduct let it block a specific device from running the game and extend a permanent ban to every account created on that device or tied to the same IP address. The enforcement is large and getting sharper. Krafton counted about 7.81 million permanently banned accounts as of November 2025, and on 5 November 2026 it reported banning 10,237 accounts that had dodged earlier bans by changing their HWID.
| Anti-cheat | Krafton Security Services (KSS) and Zakynthos, kernel-level; PUBG is also on BattlEye's protected-games list |
|---|---|
| Hardware bans | Yes, covering devices and IP addresses (Rules of Conduct, section 6) |
| Ban types | Escalating penalties ending in a permanent ban; some hardware bans are temporary |
| HWID evasion | 10,237 accounts banned for changing their HWID (5 Nov 2026) |
| Appeal route | Krafton support at support.pubg.com |
| TPM / Secure Boot | Not listed as required |
Does PUBG HWID ban?
PUBG does HWID ban. Section 6 of the PUBG Rules of Conduct allows Krafton to stop users from running the game when misconduct is traced to a specific hardware device, and to apply a "permanent ban, against all accounts created on that device or associated with that IP address". At the top of the penalty table sits a permanent game ban plus restrictions on using the service from your hardware.
Not every hardware ban is forever. An anti-cheat update from 2 August 2024 describes a hardware ban method that hands out temporary bans depending on the situation. If the mechanics are new to you, our explainer on what a hardware ban is and how it is tracked covers the basics.
Which anti-cheat does PUBG use?
PUBG uses anti-cheat that Krafton builds in-house. The Steam store page names KSS (Krafton Security Services) and carries the kernel-level anti-cheat notice. Zakynthos is the company's proprietary anti-cheat solution, and an August 2025 update described a scanner that checks the PC's kernel for code with abnormal patterns.
BattlEye's website lists PUBG among the games it protects as well, which puts it in the same group as the titles in our BattlEye unban guide and our Escape from Tarkov ban guide. For how kernel-level systems differ from one another, see how the major anti-cheat systems compare.
How many players does PUBG ban?
PUBG bans players by the hundreds of thousands, and in some periods by the million. These are Krafton's published totals:
| Period | Accounts banned | Published |
|---|---|---|
| First half of 2024 | 1,480,434 permanent bans | 2 Aug 2024 |
| DMA cheats, 2025 | About 260,000 permanent bans | 24 Mar 2026 |
| All time, as of Nov 2025 | About 7.81 million permanent bans | 19 Dec 2025 |
| HWID ban evasion | 10,237 accounts | 5 Nov 2026 |
Hardware enforcement is the part to watch. The 2026 anti-cheat plan promises to "advance hardware-based re-entry blocks", so banned devices that come back are a stated target.
How long is a PUBG ban?
A PUBG ban gets heavier with each offense until it turns permanent. The Rules of Conduct set out an escalating table, and any violation past the final step listed there brings a permanent ban. The cheating totals Krafton publishes are all permanent bans, while some hardware bans are temporary.
Console players have a specific rule to know. From 30 June 2026, accounts confirmed to be using abnormal input devices on console get permanent bans.
How do you appeal a PUBG ban?
You appeal a PUBG ban through Krafton's PUBG support site. The Rules of Conduct give every player the right to appeal through legitimate methods, but no appeal steps or response times are published. Send your ticket from the banned account and state your case once, with the date the ban appeared. Our notes on what usually helps a ban appeal apply here too.
Can you get a hacked PUBG account unbanned?
PUBG gives hacked accounts a way back, within limits. A June 2026 account protection update allows one unban every six months for accounts protected by a secondary password, and one unban per lifetime for accounts without one. If someone else cheated on your account, setting a secondary password gives you more room should it happen again.
Does a new account get around a PUBG ban?
A new account does not get around a PUBG hardware ban. Permanent bans extend to every account made on the banned device or linked to its IP address. The November 2026 update also shows Krafton checking for HWID changes directly, with 10,237 accounts banned for evading bans that way.
Weigh that number if you are thinking about an HWID spoofer for PUBG: it shows the anti-cheat team looks for exactly this behavior and bans for it. Before deciding anything, read whether an HWID spoofer is safe to use and how permanent and temporary spoofers differ.
Disclosure: Sync, which publishes this blog, sells an HWID spoofer and lists PUBG among its supported games. Details are on the Sync site, and the free trial page lets you try it first. No tool can guarantee you won't be banned again.
PUBG ban FAQ
Does PUBG ban your IP address?
Yes. PUBG's Rules of Conduct allow a permanent ban on every account associated with a banned IP address.
Are PUBG hardware bans permanent?
Not always. Krafton describes a PUBG hardware ban method that issues temporary bans depending on the situation, alongside permanent device bans.
Does PUBG need TPM 2.0 or Secure Boot?
No. PUBG's Steam page lists 64-bit Windows 10 as the minimum and does not require TPM or Secure Boot.
How many PUBG accounts were banned for changing their HWID?
Krafton reported on 5 November 2026 that it had banned 10,237 PUBG accounts for evading earlier bans by changing their HWID.
Sources
- PUBG: Rules of Conduct
- PUBG anti-cheat updates (2 August 2024, 11 August 2025, 19 December 2025 and 24 March 2026)
- PUBG account protection update (25 June 2026)
- PUBG anti-cheat update (5 November 2026)
- PUBG: Battlegrounds on Steam
Rules change. Check the publisher's official pages before you act on anything here.