KRAFTON's Four Crises: NewJeans Loot Box Lies, China Ties, and the Permanent Ban on Vietnamese PUBG Stars

KRAFTON's long 2026-25 crisis goes beyond a small fine. In June 2026, South Korea's Fair Trade Commission fined KRAFTON 2.5 million won for misleading PUBG: Battlegrounds players about item drop rates during the PUBG × NewJeans collaboration. KRAFTON sold two paid products, the Loot Pack and the Premium Bundle, and promised a guaranteed blueprint set on the fifth attempt if four consecutive openings failed. Players who bought more than five bundles saw no guarantee. The FTC found the actual rate was only 9%. KRAFTON refunded 1.1 billion won to about 380,000 buyers and paid 9.8 billion won in in-game compensation. Another NewJeans-related controversy involved players using face skins to create sexual harassment content involving minors Haerin and Hyein; KRAFTON restricted certain skin combinations. In 2026, ZDNet Korea revealed KRAFTON provided technical services to Tencent's Peacekeeper Elite, reviving the debate about the China version of PUBG. Finally, on September 23, KRAFTON permanently banned Vietnamese players Himass and TanVuu for stream sniping at PUBG Asia Stars 2026, triggering a Vietnamese backlash and over 4.1 million petition signatures. The real question is trust: one company controlling game, tournament, investigation, and punishment leaves no independent appeal. PUBG needs transparent processes and equal standards for all players.