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KRAFTON has officially rolled out Update 38.1 for PUBG: Battlegrounds on PC, with the console version set to launch on October 23. This update kicks off a full Halloween-themed event by introducing the Skibidi Toilet PvE Arcade mode, a new Contender character, and sweeping adjustments to weapons, vehicles, maps, and systems.
Skibidi Toilet Collaboration: A Surreal Halloween Twist
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PUBG is collaborating with the viral animation IP Skibidi Toilet to bring a limited-time PvE experience to Miramar. Squads of four will face escalating waves of Toilet bosses, earning Chemical Cans that players can use to upgrade their loadouts for subsequent matches.
The Event Pass: Skibidi Toilet offers themed rewards and cosmetic items. The event runs from October 22 to November 5 on PC, and October 30 to November 13 on consoles.
This collaboration marks one of PUBG’s more whimsical crossovers, merging internet meme culture with serious battle royale gameplay.
New Contender: Dorian, the Heavy-Metal Showman
As part of the Contender system introduced earlier this year, Dorian debuts as the second official Contender. A heavy-metal guitarist by persona, Dorian brings flair to the battlefield. Players can customize his emotes, kill effects, Dive Trails, and appearance via the Workshop.
Weapon & Vehicle Overhauls: Rebalancing the Battleground
To restore balance and recalibrate combat, Update 38.1 makes significant adjustments across weapon and vehicle systems:
- SMGs: Hip-fire accuracy is broadly reduced (about 57% drop for most SMGs, about 28.5% for P90). Sustained fire accuracy is also dampened.
- MP5K: Damage has been lowered (34 to 32).
- Panzerfaust: More restrictions when wielded (no sprint, jump, vault), louder deployment sounds, and reduced damage against players inside vehicles. Carriage weight also increases.
- Vehicles receive a major rework:
- Window tinting and penetration: All vehicles, including special skins, now share consistent transparency and bullet-penetrable windows.
- Improved handling: Driving experience refined for key models including Dacia, Mirado, Coupe RB, and base sedans.
Map & System Enhancements
Miramar gains destructible terrain, enabling strategic use of grenades, vehicles, and explosions to dynamically alter the environment.
The Recall System is rebalanced:
- On larger maps (8×8 km), recall flights appear one fewer time and stop appearing after Phase 6.
- Registration time in the Blue Chip Tower now scales: each additional Blue Chip adds 5 seconds.
- New system messages indicate when players return.
- Other UI and playback improvements include:
- Ranked season reset and lower tier performance thresholds.
- The Pass system now supports up to three simultaneous passes, with shared XP progression across them.
Observer mode improvements include live match rankings, player search, refined killfeed duration, and UI updates.
Map Rotation & Regional Preferences
The Map Service Report reveals how PUBG adapts map rotations based on regional player preferences, including Erangel, Taego, Sanhok, Miramar, Karakin, Rondo, and Deston.
Notably, Miramar has been prioritized to ensure players experience its new destructible terrain feature. Update 38.1 is among PUBG’s most ambitious seasonal patches, blending themed spectacle with deep tactical refinements.
