PUBG 38.1 Patch Drops Today: Skibidi Toilet Update Unveiled

PUBG remains one of the best online multiplayer shooter experiences going. I’m not sure what that says about more modern releases, but still, if you’re looking for the truest battle royale experience out there, you want to play PlayerUnknown Battlegrounds. Part of that ongoing popularity comes from the teams’ constant stream of updates and patches over the year, and update 38.1 has just dropped today for PC, with consoles not that far behind, with the update due to follow on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on October 23rd.

The October update introduces a limited-time Halloween collaboration mode featuring the globally popular YouTube animation IP Skibidi Toilet, a new Contender character, and a series of gunplay and gameplay improvements, including updates to SMGs, vehicles, and map mechanics. You can find the full patch notes below!

Gameplay

Vehicles & Special Vehicle Skins

Update 38.1 brings broad adjustments to vehicles and Special Vehicle skins.

• A similar level of window tint has been applied to the front and rear windows of base vehicles, matching those of Special Vehicle skins.

• The driving experience has been improved for the following vehicles and Special Vehicle skins:

  • Dacia, Mirado, Coupe RB, “The Good Ol’ Days (Black)” Sedan, “The Good Ol’ Days (White)” Sedan

Special Vehicle Skins

When equipping Special Vehicle skins:

• All vehicle windows can now be penetrated by bullets, regardless of skin type.

• All vehicles now share the same wide, consistent penetrable area at the rear, regardless of design.

<Dev’s comment>

Across the vast Battlegrounds, vehicles serve as more than just a means of transportation—they are vital strategic elements that can shape the outcome of survival and combat. The PUBG development team has always valued the unique experiences and tactical depth that vehicles bring to the game. As Special Vehicle skins also serve to expand the joy of PUBG, we’ve collaborated with premium car brands to deliver realistic, immersive experiences that capture the essence of driving within the Battlegrounds.

Throughout the development of Special Vehicle skins, we have always prioritized maintaining identical driving performance to their base vehicles. We’ve also worked to maintain balance in vehicle hit areas by allowing penetration based on material type, ensuring that combat remains as fair as possible. However, as more Special Vehicle skins have been introduced over time, we began to notice that the differences in size and shape were creating slight advantages or disadvantages in actual engagements, an unintended outcome that diverged from our original goal of offering purely visual variety. As players’ skills and understanding of vehicles have grown, these disparities have become more pronounced, revealing a growing imbalance that could no longer be overlooked. We recognized that adhering solely to our original policy of equal performance was no longer enough to address this issue. Since these discrepancies could directly impact survival and fairness, we saw this as a crucial matter that required fundamental action. Therefore, rather than making adjustments to specific skins, we decided to take a comprehensive look at the entire vehicle system—including previously released vehicles—and make improvements.

In this update, we’ve implemented improvements in two key areas. First, we refined the overall driving experience of base vehicles and adjusted window transparency to make seated players less visible from the outside, narrowing the gameplay gap between base vehicles and Special Vehicle skins. At the same time, we’ve adjusted the hit areas of Special Vehicle skins to closely match those of the base vehicles, ensuring a fair and consistent experience regardless of which vehicle or skin players choose. These standards will continue to apply to all future Special Vehicle skins. However, the Bugatti Special Vehicle skins were not included in this update, as no adjustments were required in relation to the changes made in this patch. (The balance of all Special Vehicle skins is subject to change depending on development progress.)

We understand that these changes may alter some aspects of the familiar experience, but we believe they are a necessary step toward maintaining a fair competitive environment. We will continue to listen closely to player feedback and remain committed to creating a more balanced and enjoyable Battleground for everyone. As always, we appreciate your feedback and thank you for your continued support.

Recall System

• The registration time at the Blue Chip Tower now scales with the number of Blue Chips.

• Information regarding players returning to the Battleground is now provided through system messages and the Match Log.

• On 8×8 km maps, the Recall flight will appear one fewer time and will no longer appear from Phase 6 onwards.

UX/UI

• The countdown message for the Recall flight has been removed from the spectator view, and the remaining time is now displayed at the top of the Minimap and the bottom right of the World Map.

• Recall-related system messages now follow the same format as regular system messages.

• Some recall-related UI messages have been updated.

Dev’s comment: Since the Recall system was introduced to Ranked and Esports, it has given eliminated players a second chance and had a significant impact on the overall flow of gameplay. To ease the fatigue that can come from repeated recalls, we’re making a few adjustments in this update. With these changes, recalling multiple teammates at once now carries greater risk. Players can also view other teams’ recall information, which creates new opportunities for strategic play. In addition, recalls are now limited in the late game so that the feature mainly serves as a recovery option for players eliminated early.