Steven R. June 24, 2019
Popular streamer Félix “xQc” Lengyel is going to be taking a break from PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.
But he won't be doing so willingly. The former Overwatch League player received a ban from the game in the middle of a stream for mysterious reasons. The moment was clipped by fans on Twitch.
The ban came in the middle of a streaming session that featured XQC and a friend playing Zombie Mode custom matches which see a team of humans defend against a slew of player-controlled zombies. After dying in the game, XQC is seen exiting the session only to have an error message pop up stating that he has received a 24-hour ban from the game.
While bans like this can often hint at the use of hacks or other third-party software, it is unlikely that a legitimate esports talent would risk their career by cheating during a custom match with absolutely no stakes. Because of that, it is unclear what led to the punishment.
Some speculate that this may stem from an automated system in PUBG which could activate if a player receives a specified number of reports within a certain length of time. Despite the fact that Zombie Mode is a custom matchmaking option, players still have the ability to report anyone that kills them during a match. A concerted effort to troll a popular streamer while he broadcasts himself playing on a private server is plausible.
Others believe his account may have been flagged because of a specific moment during the game. While being chased by a horde of players he jumps into a boat with the crowd following him into the water. As he drives off, a number of them get caught in the engine which leads to XQC scoring 23 kills within a matter of seconds. That kind of situation is nearly impossible in normal play and could have popped up as unusual in anti-cheat software.
Given that this is only a 24-hour ban and is unlikely to be extended after further review, and XQC will be able to return to the game before long.