PUBG Update 43.1 Unleashes Jujutsu Kaisen, New Combat Actions and Duo Rumble

PUBG: Battlegrounds is expanding the possibilities available to players with Update 43.1, a substantial September release combining the Jujutsu Kaisen collaboration with new close-range attacks, improved water combat, direct item interactions and the arrival of Ranked Season 43. The update is s

The update is scheduled to deploy on PC on September 10, following maintenance from 00:00 to 08:30 UTC. Console players will receive the update one week later, on September 17, with maintenance planned between 01:00 and 09:00 UTC.

While the crossover provides the most immediately recognizable part of the update, Patch 43.1 makes several permanent changes to PUBG’s underlying gameplay. Players can kick enemies and environmental objects, defend themselves while floating in water, carry equipment without placing it in their inventory and use certain ground items immediately.

The result is an update built around giving Survivors more options when a conventional firefight is either impossible or strategically undesirable.

Jujutsu Kaisen transforms the Battlegrounds

The Jujutsu Kaisen collaboration spreads themed content across PUBG rather than confining the crossover to the store. Its world elements are available in Normal Matches, Ranked and Casual Mode, although some additions are exclusive to Erangel.

Every starting island receives a special Jujutsu Kaisen Box. Players are given 20 Mysterious Orbs upon entering the island and can throw them at the box while waiting for the match to begin. Once the box has been struck 20 times, it opens to reveal a statue of Satoru Gojo.

The appearance of Gojo activates Domain Expansion: Infinite Void within a limited radius. The effect remains active for 15 seconds before disappearing, giving players an interactive collaboration feature to experiment with before boarding the plane.

Erangel also receives Jujutsu Kaisen-themed warehouses. These locations include life-size character displays, photographic areas and special vending machines capable of dispensing healing and boost items. Existing warehouses have been converted in certain places, while additional warehouse structures have been added elsewhere on the map.

Care Packages and transport planes receive collaboration designs across all maps. Jujutsu Kaisen billboards can also be found around Erangel, reinforcing the “Erangel Incident” presentation introduced through PUBG’s earlier anomaly reports.

These world features will remain available until the following major update. They are primarily visual and interactive additions rather than a complete transformation of the normal battle royale rules.

Character sets and Progressive weapon skins join the collaboration

The crossover extends into the Workshop, Hideout and in-game store. Character sets based on Yuji Itadori, Megumi Fushiguro, Nobara Kugisaki and Satoru Gojo are among the available cosmetic rewards, accompanied by themed weapons, charms and a parachute.

Two of the major Workshop rewards are Progressive skins for the Satoru Gojo M24 and Megumi Fushiguro VSS. The Gojo M24 can reach level 10, unlocking additions such as attachment appearances, an inspection animation, a kill-feed skin, a themed Death Box and a final kill effect. Megumi’s VSS has six progression levels.

The Hideout introduces another level-10 Progressive skin based on Ryomen Sukuna for the Beryl M762. A separate Suguru Geto collection includes clothing, accessories, a Mini14 and a Progressive Pan.

Players can earn collaboration materials through the new Crafter Pass, Cargo openings, Special Crafting and limited events. The Crafter Pass has a maximum level of 70, with the experience requirement increasing progressively after level 40.

These rewards follow different availability and expiration schedules. On PC, most collaboration sales begin after maintenance on September 10, while their console equivalents start on September 17. Players using Jujutsu Kaisen Tokens, Cargo Tickets or Sukuna Vouchers should check their respective expiry dates, as unused event materials will eventually be removed without conversion or reimbursement.

Kicks create a new close-range option

Update 43.1 adds two kick attacks to unarmed combat: a standing kick and a jump kick. Both cause more damage and stronger knockback than a regular punch, making them useful for creating distance, interrupting an enemy or forcing someone away from a defensible position.

On PC, players can kick by right-clicking while unarmed. Console players use the left trigger. The command can also be assigned to a different input through the key-binding menu.

Kicks interact with more than enemy players. They can break certain windows, wooden doors, wooden fences, jars and tires. Some otherwise indestructible doors can also be opened rapidly with a kick, although the option will not work on every door.

Vending machines offer another unconventional interaction. Kicking one dispenses its items faster than using the standard interaction, but damages the machine and leaves it temporarily unavailable. It therefore trades discretion and future availability for immediate access.

The mechanic is unlikely to replace firearms or established breaching tools, and PUBG Studios says it was not designed to interfere with the game’s core gunplay. Its practical importance will instead emerge in improvised situations: contested landings, fights immediately after being revived or close encounters in which neither player has time to reload.

Water is no longer a completely helpless position

Entering water has historically carried severe tactical disadvantages. Update 43.1 reduces that vulnerability by increasing swimming and diving speed by 25 percent and introducing limited combat options on the surface.

Players can now use sidearms and throwables while floating. Handguns support hip-fire and aiming down sights, although shoulder firing is unavailable and bullet spread is greater than it is on land. Throwables are restricted to overhand throws.

Weapons can only be used while the player is stationary or moving at the reduced speed permitted while aiming. Beginning to swim normally or diving beneath the surface automatically puts the weapon away. It is drawn again when the player returns to the surface.

These restrictions mean that water remains more dangerous than solid ground. However, a swimming player is no longer entirely unable to respond when discovered. Rivers and coastlines may consequently become more viable rotation routes when the terrain or Blue Zone makes travelling over land equally risky.

Boats have also been strengthened. Their overall durability has increased, and firearm damage against every boat has been standardized at 50 percent. An All-in-One Repair Kit can now be used to repair a boat from the water’s surface, but not while submerged.

Equipment can be carried without using inventory capacity

Another major addition allows players to pick up and transport certain items without placing them inside their inventory. A Survivor can carry one supported item type at a time, even when their backpack is already full.

Supported objects include ammunition, attachments, healing supplies, boost items, helmets, vests, backpacks and throwables. On PC, the default carrying input is the H key, while console players use LB and X.

The carried item can be dropped or physically thrown. Its throwing distance depends on its size, and it will collide with terrain and environmental objects. Thrown equipment does not inflict damage when it hits another player.

This system creates a direct method of passing supplies between teammates. A player can throw ammunition toward cover, move a spare vest without reorganizing their backpack or rescue useful equipment from a dangerous location.

Carrying an item introduces limitations. Players cannot crouch, go prone, use another object, revive a teammate, perform a cooperative climb or open the Emote Wheel. Drawing a weapon, entering a vehicle, swimming, vaulting or climbing also causes the carried object to be dropped.

Death Boxes receive related improvements. Players carrying one can now jump and open Care Packages, although vaulting or switching weapons will make them release the box.

Ground items can be used immediately

Healing supplies, boosts and several deployable items can now be activated directly from the ground. This removes the need to create inventory space before consuming or deploying an item that a player intends to use immediately.

Compatible objects include healing and boost items, the Folded Shield, Emergency Pickup, Mortar and C4. Their usual deployment restrictions and activation times still apply.

Bandages and other consecutively usable items can be consumed repeatedly from a stack on the ground. If the action is interrupted, the unused portion remains available. Deployable equipment is positioned according to the player’s location and facing direction at the time of activation.

This is fundamentally a quality-of-life change, but it could also affect high-pressure encounters. Using a healing item from a Death Box or immediately deploying a Folded Shield requires fewer inventory operations, reducing the time spent navigating menus while exposed.

The surrounding interface has been updated to support these expanded interactions. Key guides have been standardized, the currently selected throwable is shown on the central HUD when multiple throwable types are carried, and deployed Folded Shields and Mortars can now be retrieved with the same interaction key.

LMGs are pulled back after dominating the meta

Patch 43.1 reduces the power and availability of light machine guns following their prominent role in the previous Meta Rotation.

The ADS transition time for LMGs increases from 0.30 to 0.37 seconds. PUBG Studios has left their fundamental recoil patterns untouched but reduced the additional recoil-control bonuses obtained from standing, crouching or going prone.

The RPD and M249 lose their additional damage multiplier against vehicles, dropping from 1.1 to the standard 1.0 value. The MG3’s vehicle multiplier is reduced from 1.25 to 1.1.

World spawn rates for the RPD and M249 are also being lowered by 30 percent. The stated objective is to preserve the sustained-fire identity of the weapon class while preventing its magazine capacity, positional stability and anti-vehicle performance from exerting too much influence over matches.

These are meaningful nerfs, particularly for players who relied on crouched or prone LMG fire to control open terrain. The weapons retain their base characteristics, but acquiring and using them effectively should now require more deliberate positioning.

Season 43 introduces expanded leaderboards

Ranked Season 43 begins with a permanent Mk14 Ranked weapon skin available as a Tier Reward. The minimum performance requirements for Gold and higher tiers have been increased in Solo and Duo Ranked modes, while Archivist’s Chests in the Ranked Play Point track have been replaced by Contender Cargo Tickets.

The update also introduces a broader leaderboard system under the Career menu. Rankings are no longer limited to Ranked RP: players can compete across categories based on victories, weapon kills and Clan XP.

Each leaderboard displays its top 500 competitors. Players outside that group can still see their approximate position as a percentage, while those who finish a season inside the top 500 receive a recap displaying their best achievements.

This provides a formal way to measure specialist performance. Players can pursue rankings for individual weapons, maps or modes even if they are not competing at the highest levels of Ranked play.

Duo Rumble arrives on PC

Rumble returns as a Duo competition for PC players in Asia, Europe and North America. It will run from September 12 until October 14 across five separate Saturday stages, each lasting four hours.

Participation requires a pre-made two-player crew. Once confirmed for a stage, crew members cannot be changed, and participants cannot switch to another crew or region during that stage.

Scores combine team placement with individual survival time and kills. The leaderboard is recalculated every five minutes using each crew’s three best matches, while the leading three crews are displayed in real time inside the Rumble lobby.

There is no limit on attempts during an active stage. Participation grants 2,000 BP, while ranking rewards can reach 10,000 G-Coin depending on final placement.

Technical improvements target both PC and console

PC players with compatible hardware gain support for NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 and AMD FSR 4.1. Upscaling settings appear under the Advanced Graphics options when anti-aliasing is configured to Medium, High or Ultra.

Console receives a separate hit-detection adjustment. Character hitboxes have been enlarged and refined to make successful hits more forgiving, but weapon damage, recoil and firing rates remain unchanged.

Solo Deathmatch also returns for a limited period, while Intense Battle Royale receives a more detailed results screen showing team and individual performance. Customization preset slots increase from five to ten, and the patch addresses various problems involving inventory behavior, reload animations, Emergency Parachutes, Miramar geometry and cosmetic clipping.

Taken as a whole, Update 43.1 is more than a themed collaboration. Jujutsu Kaisen supplies the presentation, but the expanded movement, inventory and combat systems are the changes most likely to influence PUBG after the crossover ends. More information here.