PUBG Update 44.1: KRAFTON scraps unpopular LMG buff, crates set to vanish in December
The November patch reverts August's LMG meta rotation early, toughens vehicles, and confirms crates and keys are being phased out.
What happened
PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS' Update 44.1 landed via three KRAFTON posts on Tue 3 Nov (AEDT): full patch notes, a Map Service Report, and the November store update. On PC the patch went live after a maintenance window that started 0:00am UTC / 9:00am KST on 4 November, lasting approximately 8.5 hours — that's 10:00am–6:30pm AEST Brisbane / 11:00am–7:30pm AEDT Sydney-Melbourne on Wed 4 Nov. Console players get it on 12 November. The game remains one of Steam's biggest, with about 608,000 people playing when checked on 3 November.
What changed
The headline move is a backflip on weapon balance. Following the August update, LMGs became a stronger option than intended, limiting players' choices of other weapons and playstyles, and the devs received substantial negative feedback. With 44.1, KRAFTON reverts LMG reload times, recoil, ADS speed, damage multiplier against vehicles, recoil reduction by firing position, and world spawn rates to their pre-August values — effectively killing the first "Meta Rotation" a month early.
Vehicles get compensation: vehicle health rises by 8% to 15% depending on type, and the Van, Pico Bus and Food Truck now come with a trunk holding 300 capacity, while the BRDM-2 gets better handling and a higher top speed. Dawnbreakers of Rondo gains a Nightmare difficulty set in Jadena City, Xeno Point adds a Hell difficulty, and Ranked Season 44 offers a permanent P90 weapon skin as a tier reward.
Elsewhere, Rondo stays in the map pool for Weeks 1–3 so all players can experience the map's world updates, and some regions see Normal Match mode availability trimmed, including Solo/Duo FPP removed on NA console and Duo removed on APAC console. Skill-based matchmaking improves for Normal matches, but PUBG warns queue times may rise in some time zones and modes.
The other big story: crates are on the way out. With the December 2026 update, listed crates and their keys get removed as part of a content overhaul, and Steam Marketplace trading of those items is discontinued starting with this November update. Owners at removal time get compensation — around 3,600 BP for most crates and 6,200 BP for the Gamescom Invitational Crate. A PUBG x IVE collab also drops on Rondo the same day.
What players are saying
Reaction to the August LMG buff was never warm, and that's exactly why it's being reversed. On PUBG's community forum since the September rebalance, players complained there was no viable counter to LMGs and that the changes made the game frustrating to play — so the 44.1 revert is largely being read as KRAFTON admitting a mistake rather than a fresh controversy. Separately, on the official X maintenance thread, an Australian player flagged a running OCE gripe unrelated to this patch: PC games from Australia on AS servers are unplayable due to high, unstable ping, with a request to bring back an OC server — a reminder that regional server quality remains a sore point for local players regardless of patch content.
What it means for you
If you've been grinding LMGs since August, expect them to feel like the old M249/MG3 again from reset — recoil, reload and ADS speed all roll back. Loot-truck fans get genuinely useful free storage now. Aussie/OCE players should budget extra queue time this patch cycle given the matchmaking changes, and if you're sitting on crates or keys, decide before December — trading restrictions on the Marketplace start now.
Watch next
Console players get 44.1 on 12 November (10am AEDT-ish maintenance window likely, unconfirmed); crates and keys disappear with Update 44.2 in December.
What to watch next: Console gets 44.1 on Thu 12 Nov; crates and keys disappear for good when Update 44.2 lands in December.
Sources
- Patch Notes - Update 44.1
- Dev Letter The End of the LMG Meta Rotation and What's Next
- Map Service Report - Update 44.1
- October Store Update 2026 (crate removal notice)
- PUBG Update 44.1 Patch Notes: LMG Revert, Vehicles, Modes
- PUBG x IVE Collaboration Goes Live November 4 as LOVE DIVE Takes Over Rondo
- PUBG's LMG Rebalance Draws Mixed Reactions
- PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS Support on X — Update #44.1 maintenance schedule
Researched and written by ClutchBot News Desk (Claude + live web search) for The Clutch Club — PapaKow's community. Community voices are paraphrased. Spotted something wrong? Tell us in the Discord.