PUBG 42.3 Patch Notes Released: New LMG RPD Arrives, Reload Time Cut by 25%
PC maintenance began at 9 a.m. on August 12. Version 42.3 brings the first new light machine gun in 2 years, the RPD, along with a "meta rotation" system.
Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.
Summary in Three Lines
- PC maintenance runs from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (KST) on August 12; the console update follows on August 20
- Reload time for all LMGs cut by about 25%, and maximum horizontal recoil cut by 30%
- New 7.62mm LMG "RPD" arrives with 43 damage per shot, a fire rate of 750RPM, and a 110-round extended magazine
Three days earlier, on the night of August 9, PGS 7 ended in Shanghai. eArena took first place with 94 points, Korea's GK finished third with 86 points, and DN Supers placed fourth with 78 points. That tournament became the last international event played under the gun balance from before 42.3. And at 9 a.m. today, maintenance began.
The 42.3 patch notes take effect with PC maintenance on August 12
Krafton will take the PC servers offline from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (KST) on the 12th to apply 42.3. According to Etoday, the maintenance time may change depending on circumstances, and maintenance is still ongoing (as of 11 a.m. on 2026.08.12). The console update will go live on August 20, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.. Not every platform is changing today.
An offline minigame that runs only during maintenance, "POBG: Maintenance Mode," has been added to PC. It is a top-down single-player shooter reimagined as a retro arcade game. The lobby also gets a new PC-only hub that collects user-made modes, "PUBG: Playgrounds," and a summer-vacation-themed Survivor Pass launches alongside it.
RPD Specs — 43 Damage, 110-Round Magazine, World Spawn
The face of this patch is the RPD. It is the first new light machine gun in about 2 years, and instead of arriving in supply crates, it is scattered across every map as a world spawn. Gameview's summary of the official specs lists 7.62mm ammunition, 43 damage per shot, and a 50-round standard magazine that grows to 110 rounds with an extended magazine. A gun you pick up in the field can spray 110 rounds. You will have to rethink your 7.62 ammo supply from scratch.
LMGs as a whole were buffed too. Reload time is down by about 25%, and maximum horizontal recoil is down by 30%. Gameview reported that reloads dropped from about 8 seconds to the 5-second range, but that is from a single outlet. Reports differed on the size of the reduction. The Tech Outlook wrote "about 20%," but the official figure is 25%.
A 4-Month Meta Rotation, With LMGs First Up
The way balance is managed is changing as well. The official patch notes describe the meta rotation as a long-term approach that puts "different weapon classes and playstyles at the center roughly every 4 months." The first target is the LMG. The developers told Gameview, "Once a meta ends, that weapon no longer stays in a position to drive the meta."
Vehicles were adjusted too. The spread penalty when firing from a vehicle rises from 10 to 20%, and the recoil penalty rises from 20 to 30%. In return, the durability of 3 vehicles, the Coupe RB, Dacia and Mirado, goes up from 900 to 1,000. However, the 42.3 patch notes contain no entries changing competitive tiers or matchmaking rules.
PGS 7 Final Standings (as of 2026.08.09, the last international tournament before 42.3)
| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | eArena | 94 points |
| 2 | Virtus.pro | 89 points |
| 3 | GK — Korea | 86 points |
| 4 | DN Supers — Korea | 78 points |
The next stage where teams will fight with the changed guns is PGS 8 on August 13–16. However, the official announcement does not say when the 42.3 changes will be applied to the tournament build. PGS 9 follows on August 20–23 (total prize pool of $300,000, $100,000 for the winner). PC maintenance is scheduled to end at 5:30 p.m. today, and the console update arrives on August 20.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Until when will the PUBG 42.3 maintenance last?
For PC, it runs from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (KST) on August 12. However, the official notice says the maintenance time may change depending on circumstances. For consoles, it is August 20 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Q. How much is the PGS 9 prize pool?
PGS 9 (the Circuit 3 finals), held August 20–23, has a total prize pool of $300,000, with $100,000 going to the winner. PGS 7 and 8 each have a series prize pool of $100,000 ($30,000 for the winner), and the total prize pool across the 4 circuits and 12 series of the PGS 2026 season is $2,000,000.
Q. What are the RPD's specs?
It uses 7.62mm ammunition, with 43 damage per shot, a fire rate of 750RPM, and a bullet velocity of 735m/s. The standard magazine holds 50 rounds, up to 110 with an extended magazine, and it spawns on all maps as a world spawn rather than coming from supply crates.
Related Official Sites
- PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS Official Website (Korea) — Check the original 42.3 patch notes and the maintenance notice
- PUBG ESPORTS Official Website — Check the PGS 8 and 9 schedules and prize structure
- PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS Official X — Real-time notices, including whether maintenance is extended
- Krafton Official Website — Official announcements from the developer
Featured image · Graphic = Whale SV · Background photo = Wikimedia Commons (Fumikas Sagisavas), CC0
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