[PUBG] I Looked Into Whether You Can Play FACEIT from Japan

At long last, an Asia server (SEA) has been added to PUBG FACEIT! There has been a lot of debate on Twitter about whether it can be played from within Japan and whether it is okay to play it, so I personally looked into it and summarized the information.

Table of Contents

Current Status

• Due to FACEIT’s specifications, PUBG cannot be added to FACEIT from outside SEA—in other words, when accessing from Japan.
• By using a VPN, you can add PUBG to FACEIT.

I Asked Official FACEIT Support Whether It Is Okay to Add It Using a VPN

Below are the questions and answers, translated loosely for this article. Note: the original English question text and the Japanese translations of the answers were all machine-translated, so please forgive any subtle differences in nuance.

Q. I live in Japan. I cannot add FACEIT PUBG when accessing from Japan.

So I added it using a VPN. Because I used a VPN, I can now play FACEIT PUBG on the SEA server.

Does this violate FACEIT’s terms?

A, No, it is not a violation of the terms.

Q. In other words, it is okay to use a VPN to add the game to FACEIT?

This issue is currently being debated in Japan. I want an answer to help resolve it.

A. If you want to play FACEIT, you should do it (add it via VPN connection). There is no problem with that; it is okay.

Take care.

Additional Notes

Is it okay to use a VPN for PUBG itself?

According to official PUBG support, “you will not be banned just for using a VPN.” In other words, they have publicly said that VPN use is not prohibited.

No, you can not get banned for using a vpn. -S

— PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS Support (@PUBG_Support)

April 26, 2018

Is it okay to use a VPN for Steam?

https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/1/350544272218413826/

Steam apparently prohibits using a VPN to purchase items in countries where they are not normally sold, or to make purchases in a currency with a different exchange rate.

Summary

In this case, the only time you access anything through a VPN from Japan is when adding PUBG to your FACEIT account. At that point, the only service you are accessing is FACEIT, so naturally it does not violate the terms.

After adding PUBG to your FACEIT account, disconnect the VPN, then launch PUBG, Steam, or whatever you need.

At that point, your IP address is in Japan, so it is not a violation of Steam’s terms. Of course, when joining a FACEIT custom match, you will be accessing it from Japan (your own IP, not connected to a VPN).

Based on all of this, playing FACEIT PUBG from within Japan does not seem likely to violate any of the relevant terms. However, this is only a judgment based on my personal research. It does not guarantee using FACEIT PUBG from within Japan, and everything is at your own risk.