PUBG Update 33.1: New Changes and Exciting Features!

PUBG dropped their Update 33.1 patch notes, and I can’t contain my excitement! If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably been glued to your screen, clutching your controller or keyboard with sweaty palms as you drop onto Erangel or Sanhok once again. Let’s dive into what this update has in store!

First off, some pretty solid gameplay tweaks have everyone! The developers seem to have taken our feedback seriously, which is a good sign. The gunplay feels slicker now (thank goodness!), making those heart-pounding firefights feel even more intense. I had a moment where I thought I was going to get wrecked by a sniper, but I managed to pull through, thanks to these updates!

Live Maintenance Schedule

※ The times shown below are subject to change.

• PC: December 4, 00:00 – 08:30 (UTC)
• Console: December 12, 01:00 – 09:00 (UTC)

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Region Merge Rollback

Beginning with Update 33.1, the AMER region will be reverted. Please refer to the Region Merge rollback announcement for all the details.

PC/Console

• AMER → NA & SA

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Map Service

※ PC players can anticipate the next rotation every Wednesday at 02:00 UTC, while Console players can expect the same every Thursday at 07:00 UTC.

Schedule

Live Server – Featured Map

• Sanhok
  • Selectable in all regions during Weeks 1 & 2.
  • Sanhok will be the featured map for 6 weeks in Map Select regions and 2 weeks in Random Map regions.
  • Sanhok’s probability in Random Map regions will be increased to 40% from Week 3.
  • Offers the same party types and perspectives as Normal Match.

Live Server – Normal Match

Map Select Regions (AS, SEA)

Map Select Regions – KAKAO

Random Map Regions – NA, SA, EU, RU & Console

※ Starting from Week 3, Sanhok will have a 40% probability and others 15% each.

Live Server – Ranked

• Erangel (25%) / Miramar (25%) / Taego (20%) / Rondo (20%) / Deston (10%)
• The map service for Ranked is updated on a season-by-season basis.

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※ Please note that the features and updates described below are subject to change or removal due to issues such as bugs, in-game problems, and community feedback. The images are intended as visual references only; the actual game may look different as the builds are continually developed and refined before release.

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World: Sanhok

Destructible Map

Following the introduction of Destructible Terrain in Rondo as the first chapter of environmental destruction, Update 33.1 transforms Sanhok into a destructible map. Experience a reimagined Sanhok, where not only the terrain but most of the map can now be destroyed!

• The Destructible Terrain feature has been added.
• Buildings, structures, and objects are now destructible.
  • Can be destroyed with the Frag Grenade, Mortar, Panzerfaust, Sticky Bomb, C4, and the Red Zone.
  • Concrete and wooden buildings are destructible.
  • Buildings made of steel or stone are only partially destructible.
  • Each building material has different durability.
  • Some objects are indestructible.
• Certain trees can be destroyed using the Frag Grenade, Mortar, Panzerfaust, Sticky Bomb, and C4.
• Applies to Normal Match and Custom Match – Normal Mode.

Area Modifications

• Visually redesigned the rice field areas throughout the map.

• Redesigned the river areas on the left side of Bootcamp.

• Improved the overall visuals of buildings in Sanhok.

Mongnai

• The types of fences within the area have been standardized.

Red Zone

• Will now be generated from Phase 1 in Sanhok as well.
• Can destroy terrain and structures.

Map

• The World Map and Minimap have been updated in alignment with the above changes.

Texture

• The texture of Clear weather has been enhanced.
• Improved and added textures for cliffs and rocks.
• Enhanced textures for certain plants.

Spawn Changes

※ Below changes apply to Normal Match.

Items

• The Sticky Bomb has been added to world spawns.
• The spawn rate of the Frag Grenade has been increased.
• The spawn rate of the Panzerfaust has been slightly increased.
• The spawn rate of the Gas Can has been reduced.
• The P18C, R1895, R45, and Skorpion have been removed.

Vehicles

• The spawn rates of the Coupe RB and Rony have been increased.
• The spawn rates of the Tukshai, Scooter, and Motorbike have been slightly increased.
• The spawn rates of the Boat and Aquarail have been reduced.
• The Buggy and Dirt Bike have been removed.

Miscellaneous

• Overall environmental elements have been replaced and improved.
• New foliage, such as bushes and grass, has been integrated into the environment.
• A new plant, the banana tree, has been added.
• Additional palm trees have been placed in the central area.
• Certain fences have been replaced with more fitting designs.
• The wooden Ascender has been replaced with a steel Ascender.
• The visuals of some fields and house sets have been improved.
• The overall quality of buildings has been enhanced.

Replay/Death Cam

• Due to issues occurring on the Sanhok map, the replay and death cam features will be temporarily disabled.
  • They will be reactivated once the issue is resolved, and further updates will be shared through an official notice.

Dev’s comment: Following the introduction of Destructible Terrain in Rondo with Update 29.1, we’re taking things up a notch—Sanhok is now a destructible map! Buildings, structures, and objects across the map can now be destroyed, and the Destructible Terrain feature that was previously exclusive to Rondo has been added to Sanhok, making most of the map destructible. By adding the element of “destruction”—one of the most intense experiences on the battlegrounds—we aim to deliver a fresh gameplay experience while creating a more immersive and realistic environment in Sanhok. At the same time, we’ve made adjustments like balancing item spawns to ensure the core gameplay remains as enjoyable as ever. As outlined in our roadmap earlier this year, we hope environmental destruction adds a new layer of excitement to the game, creates unexpected scenarios, and opens up fresh opportunities for strategies and tactics.

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Gunplay

SMGs

The firing accuracy of all SMGs, except for the P90, has been increased.

Hip-Fire

• Accuracy increased by approximately 33%.
  • Initial bullet spread has been improved, allowing for more precise aiming.
  • This excludes the MP9 and JS9.
• Accuracy during sustained fire increased by approximately 40%.
  • The rate of bullet spread increase during sustained fire has been reduced, enabling more stable shooting.

Aiming Over the Shoulder

• Accuracy increased by approximately 25%.
  • Initial bullet spread has been improved, allowing for more precise aiming.
• Accuracy during sustained fire increased by approximately 60%.
  • The rate of bullet spread increase during sustained fire has been reduced, enabling more stable shooting.

Accuracy While Moving

• Both hip-fire and over-the-shoulder aiming accuracy while the character is moving has been increased.

Misc.

• The weight of 9mm ammo has been reduced by approximately 20%.

Dev’s comment: Throughout the year, we’ve made various gunplay adjustments for mainstream weapons, SMGs, attachments, and even Care Package weapons. In Update 33.1, we’re wrapping up the year with the final SMG rebalance. As mentioned in a previous Dev Letter, the goal of this rebalance is to give SMGs a unique identity while improving their overall usability. To achieve this, we’ve enhanced SMG accuracy in this update, with significant improvements to both hip-fire and shoulder-fire accuracy. These changes are expected to make SMGs more effective in close-range combat and one-on-one encounters. We’ve also adjusted 9mm ammunition, which was previously difficult to share across weapon classes and challenging to find in the later stages of a match. By reducing its weight, players should now be able to secure a sufficient amount of ammo even during early looting phases. We’ll be closely monitoring performance data following this update and remain committed to creating a diverse and enjoyable gunplay experience as we move into the new year.

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Gameplay

Red Zone

※ Applies to all maps where the Red Zone is generated.

• No longer generates outside the Play Area, resulting in an increased Red Zone generation rate within the Play Area.
• The damage has been reduced.
• Damage decreases the farther you are from the center of the explosion within the Red Zone.
• The Red Zone’s explosion mechanism has been changed to use missile impacts, similar to the Black Zone.
• A delay is applied to explosions when missiles hit terrain.
  • A loud sound effect will play when a missile hits the ground, allowing players to anticipate the explosion.
• Explosion effects have been improved.
• Sound effects have been added and updated.
• Explosion patterns have been adjusted.

Dev’s comment: With Update 33.1, changes are coming to the Red Zone, one of PUBG’s iconic special zones. The Red Zone, which can be found in Erangel, Deston, and Sanhok, has long served as a dynamic element that introduces unpredictable situations to the battlegrounds. However, its overwhelming explosive damage has sometimes resulted in negative experiences for players. To address these issues, this update focuses on improving the overall Red Zone experience, reducing frustration, and balancing it to make the Red Zone viable for use in other modes as well.

Inspect Weapon Animation

• The inspect weapon animation is now visible to other players.
• The animation will also play while sprinting.
• The inspect weapon animation for the Panzerfaust has been added.
• The inspect animations for the All-In-One Repair Kit, Tactical Pack, and EMT Gear have been removed.

Misc.

• The visual effects for explosions of the Panzerfaust, C4, and Sticky Bomb have been improved.

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Matchmaking

(PC) New Feature: Same Language Team

• In Duo and Squad modes, enable the “Same Language Team” option located above the Select Game Mode panel in the Play – Normal tab to be matched with teammates who use the same language as the party leader.
• Applies to Normal Match for Random Map regions, Normal Match – Quick Join for Map Select regions.
  • Unavailable for the Featured Map or Casual Mode.
• Matchmaking will be canceled after a certain period of time.
• It cannot be activated simultaneously with the Win Streak Showdown.

Dev’s comment: The highly requested “Same Language Team” feature will be introduced with Update 33.1. After the region merge, we prioritized the development of this feature to resolve communication challenges caused by team members speaking different languages. This feature will initially be available in Normal Match on PC. Please note that the “Same Language Team” feature pairs only players who have enabled the option, meaning matchmaking will be smoother as more players activate it.

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Team Finder

The Team Finder feature has been revamped for a smoother experience.

• Social – Team Finder page has been removed.
• Activating the Team Finder option from the bottom-right corner of the lobby will automatically form a team with players sharing the same language, server, mode, party type, and perspective.
• Available in Normal Match and Casual Mode.
• Can be activated in Duo and Squad modes.
  • Only the party leader can enable this option.
  • Automatically deactivates once the team is full.
  • Cannot be activated during matchmaking.
• Cannot be activated simultaneously with the Win Streak Showdown feature.
• (Console) The previous Team Finder feature has been disabled.
  • The Team Finder page under Social and the Team Finder icon in the bottom-right corner of the lobby have been removed.

Dev’s comment: We’re revamping the Team Finder feature with Update 33.1. In the updated version, the invitation/acceptance process is removed, and teams are formed automatically. Unlike the Same Language Team feature, where teammates are assigned when entering a match, the Team Finder allows teams to be formed beforehand. To address the demand for teaming up with players who speak the same language after the region merge, this feature will initially be applied to Normal Match on PC. We will monitor its usage following the revamp before extending it to Console platforms.  

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Win Streak Showdown

Based on player feedback, we have made improvements to Win Streak Showdown.

• Now available in Solo mode.
  • You cannot change the party type while the Win Streak Showdown is active.
  • Win streak records and rewards are shared between Solo and Squad modes.
• The win streak requirement for maximum rewards has been adjusted from 5 consecutive wins to 3.
  • Rewards for each win streak have been adjusted.
• The weekly reset time for win streak status and reward records has been changed from 00:00 UTC to 02:00 UTC every Wednesday.

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Clan System

• You can now invite all Clan members at once by pressing the “Invite Clan” button in a Custom Match session lobby.
  • A 30-second cooldown applies.
  • Invitations will not be sent to Clan members who are offline, currently in a game, or otherwise unable to receive invites.
• Invites cannot be sent if the session is full or if the “Invite Friends” option in the Custom Match settings is disabled.

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Ranked

Season 33

• Ranked weapon skins for the FAMAS have been added as Tier Rewards (permanent) for Season 33.
• The leaderboard will reset after the live server maintenance.
• Check out your final Tier from the previous season through your Career page.

Season 32 Rewards

Below are the rewards you’ll be receiving based on your final Tier from the previous Ranked season.

• The Ranked weapon skins and Medals are permanent rewards. The rest of the obtainable rewards are available for use during a single Ranked season.
• The Top 500 rewards are awarded to players at the Master Tier and above.
• Rewards can be found on your Inventory/Edit Profile page once Season 33 starts.
• Once Season 33 is over and the server undergoes maintenance, every reward but the weapon skin and Medal will be withdrawn.

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Customize

New Feature: Lobby Pose

Existing profile poses have been upgraded and transformed into new Lobby Pose items.

• Lobby Pose items include four types of poses that can be applied to the following spaces: ‘Normal,’ ‘Ranked,’ ‘Profile,’ and ‘End of Match.’
  • A single Lobby Pose includes four types of poses, and when a Lobby Pose is applied, all four poses within it are applied at once.
  • For Lobby Poses that include weapons, the currently equipped weapon skin will be displayed.
  • You can preview the main Lobby Pose in the Customize – Character – Lobby Pose menu.
    • By navigating to a separate preview screen, you can view all included Lobby Poses.
• With the replacement of profile pose items by Lobby Pose items, any previously owned profile poses will be converted into the new Lobby Pose items.
  • Survival Level rewards will also be updated to Lobby Pose items.
• A Lobby Pose menu has been added to the Customize – Character page.
• Profile – Edit Profile – Pose tab has been removed.

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Survivor Pass

The new Survivor Pass: Let It Snow is prepared for Update 33.1. Read more details on the upcoming December Store Update announcement!

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Workshop

New item sets have been added to the Hunter’s Chest and Archivist’s Chest.

• Survivor Pass: Off the Grid
• Pharaoh’s Guard
• Survivor Pass: Grunge Queen

Artisan Crafting

Two new costume sets have been added to Artisan Crafting.

• Night Stalker Set – 100 Artisan Tokens
• End of Days Set – 100 Artisan Tokens

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UX/UI

• The weapon image on the Career – Weapons page will now display the currently equipped skin.
• (PC) Esports – The closing date for the Pick the Winner voting event in the PGC 2024 Pick’em Challenge has been changed from December 21, 08:00 UTC to December 20, 08:00 UTC.

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Bug Fixes

Gameplay

• Fixed an issue where part of the Kar98k’s model is abnormally displayed.
• Fixed an issue where the animation plays abnormally after equipping and immediately unequipping the Panzerfaust.
• Fixed an issue where the Panzerfaust is held abnormally when immediately holding it after unequipping.
• Fixed an issue where two Panzerfaust bodies momentarily appear when discarding the launcher body after firing.
• Fixed an issue where the Rectangle Blue Zone settings in Custom Match are not working as they did previously.
• Fixed an issue where a character standing on the hood of a vehicle with the “Urus S” SUV skin equipped does not fall off while the vehicle is moving.
• Fixed an issue where, under certain conditions, preset slots remain active until immediately before boarding the plane.
• Fixed an issue where reviving a player fails and causes the timer to loop.
• Fixed an issue where, under certain conditions, part of the aiming animation while riding a vehicle is skipped, allowing faster shooting than intended.
• Fixed an issue where the weight of the Sticky Bomb is incorrectly set.
• Fixed an issue where the airplane sound is played on the starting island in the Intense Battle Royale mode.
• (PC) Fixed an issue where, when spectating a Win Streak Showdown opponent, the Page Up/Down keys do not function properly after the opponent is eliminated.

World

• Fixed an issue where the Red Zone is occasionally generated in abnormal locations on Erangel, Deston, or Sanhok.

UX/UI

• Fixed an issue where the description is missing when selecting owned medals in the Profile – Edit Profile – Medal tab.
• Fixed an issue where a team join message displays upon returning to the lobby after playing in a pre-made team.
• Fixed an issue where both the compass and the player HP bars display simultaneously on the spectator screen in the 1v1 Arena.
• Fixed a translation error in the Female Face 7 item name in the Traditional Chinese language setting.
• Fixed an issue where the sound effect is missing when clicking the “View Probabilities” button in the Hideout – Contraband – More Details page.
• Fixed an issue where characters are not displayed properly when viewing the profiles of players who have not logged in since Update 32.1.
• (PC) Fixed an issue where the dollar sign displays in a different color on the G-COIN purchase screen in the Store.

Items & Skins

※ Clipping issue: Graphics that are shown outside the visible part of an image/object.

• Fixed the clipping issue that occurs on the ankles when wearing certain outfits and shoes together.
• Fixed the clipping issue when the female character wears a certain outfit and headbands together.
• Fixed the clipping issue on the wrists when the female character wears Hunter’s Gloves.
• Fixed an issue where the ankles turn transparent when the female character wears 17SHOU’s Leggings and certain shoes together.
• Fixed an issue where the ankles turn transparent when the female character wears the Cavalier Jeans and Spurdogs Basketball Shoes together.
• Fixed an issue where the ZERO-G Heavy Grade Jacket blocks the screen in certain situations when equipped.
• Fixed the clipping issue when equipping certain Custom Lobby skins after wearing the Happy Hibernation Shoes.
• Fixed an issue where the Lonesome Lover Hoodie obstructs the view when aiming with certain weapons.
• Fixed an issue where the ankles turn transparent when wearing the Lipovka Slacks and ZERO-G Medium Grade Boots together.
• Fixed the clipping issue on the wrists when the female character wears certain jackets and gloves together.
• Fixed an issue where part of the hair is missing when wearing Hairstyle 65 with certain hats.
• Fixed an issue where part of the hat is missing when wearing the Floral Jeonmo with certain outfits.
• Fixed the clipping issue when the female character wears the PGC 2022 Tac-Tech Shirt and Douyu Biker Jacket together.
• Fixed the clipping issue when the male character wears the Doomsday Hoodie.
• Fixed the clipping issue when wearing the PAI 2019 Jacket and Ali the Fox Peach Gloves together.
• Fixed an issue where the hair color changes to the default color when returning to the lobby after accessing the Pass page.
• (PC) Fixed an issue where items can be crafted in the Workshop without consuming currency.

Also worth mentioning is the community talk surrounding bug fixes, some old issues have finally been addressed while others still linger like unwanted party crashers at a BBQ. Fingers crossed we see more improvements in the next updates!

What will these changes impact our beloved gaming community? Well, it seems like these changes could bring back some players who took breaks due to frustrations over previous bugs or balance issues. We love seeing people come back for another round of chicken dinners!

For anyone eager for details straight from the source (because why wouldn’t you be?), check out the full announcement here.

So, what’s next for PUBG after this update? My prediction is a continued focus on player feedback and possibly introducing even more seasonal events that keep us engaged year-round! Given how passionate this community tends to be about gameplay dynamics, it’ll be interesting to see how devs adapt moving forward.