Baek Eok Coffee has begun measures to temporarily suspend advertising, co-branded menu and event activations tied to PUBG Asia Stars 2026, according to coverage of a Sept. 20 notice from the Korean coffee brand. The company said it would verify the facts and the organizer’s response before deciding follow-up action on its sponsorship. The move pauses sponsorship execution; it does not announce termination of the sponsorship contract.[1][2]
The dispute began after Day 1 of the PUBG: Battlegrounds event on Sept. 17. KRAFTON later said that Vietnamese participants HIMASS and TANVUU would be excluded from the remaining matches after the two acknowledged receiving external game information through viewer chat. KRAFTON also announced broadcast delays for major matches, a reissue of participant operating guidelines and stronger match monitoring.[2][3]
The official event materials describe PUBG Asia Stars 2026 as a three-day competition for six Asian regions, with 48 participants across nine modes and a final ranking based on accumulated points. All eight Korean participants were absent from Day 2 on Sept. 19, according to the reporting.[4][5]
Why It Matters
The observable change is commercial rather than merely reputational. The fairness dispute has now affected whether a sponsor continues to deliver paid or promotional assets: advertising, menus and events are being paused while the sponsor assesses the facts and the organizer’s response. That creates a direct link between competitive-integrity management and partnership execution.[1][2]
The action should not be read as proof that the contract has ended or that other sponsors will follow. It is, however, the first sponsor-side response identified in the reporting, and it gives the dispute a measurable business consequence. Baek Eok Coffee’s next notice will distinguish a temporary operational pause from a revised or terminated relationship.[1]
What Changed
Before Sept. 20, the public record showed a sponsor participating in the event’s commercial programme. The new delta is that Baek Eok Coffee has stopped continuing those activations during its review. KRAFTON’s response has settled the status of two participants for the remaining matches, but it has not yet publicly settled how Day 1 points will be treated or whether any score adjustment or replay will occur.[1][3]
That unresolved scoring question matters because the event’s final standings combine results from all nine modes. Removing HIMASS and TANVUU from later matches does not by itself explain what happens to points already earned on Day 1.[1][5]
What to Watch
- KRAFTON’s final decision on Day 1 points, including any recalculation or replay; this would clarify the competitive outcome at the centre of the dispute.
- Baek Eok Coffee’s follow-up notice after its review; a restoration, revised activation plan or termination would establish the sponsorship’s next status.
- The return, removal or continued absence of the brand’s advertising, co-branded menus and event materials; these are the clearest operational signals of whether the temporary pause has ended.
