PUBG LMG Meta Rotation ends early in November 2026 with Update 44.1. KRAFTON is rolling back the August buffs for the M249 and MG3, while bringing the newer RPD into line with the rest of the weapon class.
The aim was to make people try different guns. Instead, KRAFTON says the buffs made LMGs so appealing that other weapon classes lost out. The November patch pulls back that advantage rather than scrapping the weapons.
When does the PUBG LMG Meta Rotation end?
The change is included in Update 44.1, which reached PC on November 4 and is scheduled for console on November 12. KRAFTON originally expected each weapon rotation to last around four months, so the August experiment would have continued into December. Instead, it is ending early after several rounds of feedback.
You don’t need to change a setting or join a special mode. Once Update 44.1 is installed on your platform, the weapon balance applies in ordinary matches. The PC rollout was November 4; the console update is scheduled for November 12.
M249 and MG3 changes in PUBG LMG Meta Rotation
The M249 and MG3 return to their pre-August balance. KRAFTON specifies reload time, recoil, ADS speed, damage multipliers against vehicles, recoil control when firing from different stances and world-spawn amounts as the areas being restored.
Neither gun is being removed. The M249 remains a high-capacity option for sustained fire and the MG3 remains a care-package weapon. What’s changing is how easy they are to handle and how strongly they perform against vehicles.
Importantly, the rollback also accounts for September’s follow-up balance adjustments. It’s not simply a case of undoing one August figure while keeping every subsequent change. For accurate comparison, use the live Update 44.1 handling rather than an August or September weapon chart.
What happens to the RPD in the PUBG LMG Meta Rotation?
KRAFTON added the RPD in August, so it doesn’t have a pre-August version to return to. Instead, the gun is being adjusted to a balance level comparable with existing light machine guns. That is not the same as saying the RPD has been removed or that its original release-day stats still apply.
The RPD is a 7.62mm weapon designed for sustained fire. It launched with a 50-round base magazine that could be expanded, but those launch figures don’t prove its exact post-patch damage or handling. Use the updated game values for any loadout comparison.
Why is the PUBG LMG Meta Rotation ending early?
KRAFTON’s November 3 developer letter explains that the August buffs pushed LMG usage higher than intended. Instead of giving players more meaningful gun choices, they encouraged a large share of players to use LMGs as direct replacements for assault rifles.
Vehicle gameplay was affected too. Being caught in the open against a strong LMG could make travel more dangerous. The September adjustments improved some results, but they didn’t solve the overall balance problem.
The developer also acknowledged substantial negative player feedback. It wasn’t rejecting the idea of rotating weapon strengths altogether; it was rejecting how aggressively the first experiment changed ordinary match balance.
Will another PUBG LMG Meta Rotation begin in December?
KRAFTON’s newer developer letter says its next Meta Rotation will come in 2027, following a review of how often these events happen and how much each class should change. An earlier August plan had pointed to December’s Update 44.2, but that was replaced by the newer November statement.
KRAFTON hasn’t named a start date or the next weapon class for 2027. For now, the practical change is that the M249 and MG3 return to their older balance while the RPD gets adjusted separately.
The practical impact of the PUBG LMG Meta Rotation ending is that assault rifles and other primary weapons should have more room to compete, although KRAFTON has not supplied enough new weapon figures to support a precise ranking of the best gun in every situation.
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Official source: KRAFTON’s November 3 LMG developer letter.
