Himass and TanVuu Break Down on VTVcab: 'We Will Not Return to PUBG Even If the Ban Is Lifted'

The incident has shaken the PUBG community in Vietnam and abroad. Two players, Himass and TanVuu, once the great hopes of the nation's esports scene, have spoken publicly for the first time in a tearful interview broadcast on VTVcab. Himass, formerly of Anyone's Legend (AL), and TanVuu, formerly of The Expendables (TE), have both received bans from all global PUBG tournaments. The ban was issued following an incident at PUBG Asia Stars 2026, one of the largest regional events of the year. According to what both shared, as soon as the incident occurred, Anyone's Legend management instructed Himass not to speak or intervene on his own, and to let the organization handle matters. That is a standard crisis-management approach used by many organizations, but it also inadvertently limited the player's own voice in defending himself. For TanVuu, the situation was no better. The Expendables submitted an appeal along with information intended to protect their player to KRAFTON. However, according to what was shared in the interview, TE did not receive the response it had hoped for. Afterward, The Expendables decided to disband its PUBG roster. This is a decision with deep organizational implications. The fact that a team completely dissolved its roster over a single player's ban illustrates the cascading consequences of individual violations in a team-based competitive environment. Regarding future plans, Himass said he had intended to compete alongside Taikonn until the end of this year before considering retirement. This suggests the ban accelerated his retirement rather than causing an unexpected interruption. Meanwhile, TanVuu expressed a wish to keep competing for roughly two more years to enjoy the remaining time with esports. This is a player who still found joy in competition and had no intention of leaving his career behind. As for fallback plans, Himass mentioned driving for Grab to make a living, while TanVuu planned to move into business and online selling. These are significant socioeconomic setbacks compared with the status of professional players. Both had previously competed on the international stage, meaning they had achieved a certain level of competitive success. The ban has effectively wiped out this career capital with no clear path to recovery. Notably, both Himass and TanVuu gave fairly decisive answers when asked whether they would return to PUBG competition if the ban were lifted. The answer was no. This suggests the psychological toll they endured is severe. The incident does not stop at the two players. The Korean Game Users Association has asked the PUBG PC publisher to explain the handling process of the ASIA STAR incident. This is an unusual escalation, with a Korean gaming consumer-protection body intervening in a dispute involving Vietnamese players and a Korean publisher. To date, more than 4.1 million signatures have been collected to demand justice for the two players. The figure reflects strong community support for them. Both sent thanks to PewPew, a veteran figure in the Vietnamese gaming community, and to the fans who have always stood by them. It is worth noting that the specific nature of the incident at PUBG Asia Stars 2026 has still not been disclosed. The article does not specify whether the ban was due to software cheating, match manipulation, or a code-of-conduct violation. This ambiguity only raises more questions about the transparency of the handling process. Both organizations submitted appeals but did not receive a positive response. This suggests one of three possibilities: the evidence against the players was conclusive, KRAFTON's appeal process lacks transparency, or the appeal was rejected on procedural grounds that were not disclosed. While Anyone's Legend maintained its PUBG operations, The Expendables chose to disband. This divergence may reflect the organization's financial situation, its belief in the players' innocence, or a strategic calculation about future roster building. The story of Himass and TanVuu raises a larger question about player rights within the esports ecosystem. When a ban can erase a player's career without a transparent appeal process, is the system protecting the players or merely protecting the publisher's reputation? With more than 4.1 million signatures and the intervention of the Korean Game Users Association, this case has moved beyond a personal dispute to become a story about regional esports governance. The two players' declaration that they will not return even if unbanned shows that their trust in the system has been severely damaged. This is a wake-up call for the entire Vietnamese esports industry. If talented players no longer believe in their own career path, the ecosystem will lose its momentum for growth. The question is not only whether Himass and TanVuu will be cleared, but whether the system can change to protect players like them in the future.