PUBG’s new water actions give a swimmer limited ways to respond, but do not make the water equivalent to solid ground. Update 43.1 allows sidearms and throwables at the surface, speeds up swimming and diving, and introduces kicks for unarmed combat. The most useful way to learn these changes is to understand what cancels an action and which objects can actually be affected.
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Pistols can be fired while floating on the water
The patch allows pistols and items equipped in the third slot to be used at the water surface. A pistol can be fired without using its sight or while looking through its sight. The separate shoulder-aiming mode is unavailable, and bullets spread more widely than on land. Grenades and other throwable items can only be thrown overhand. Fighting from cover on the shore still offers advantages over these limited options in the water.
Normal swimming and diving cause the character to put the weapon away. While aiming, the character can swim slowly instead. The weapon is drawn again after returning to the water surface. Practise these transitions before relying on them during a crossing. If an opponent is watching from the shore, having to wait for the character to draw the pistol again can leave little time to respond.
Faster swimming does not choose an exit for you
Swimming and diving movement speed increases by 25 percent, with directional movement adjusted as well. That can make water a more plausible route, particularly when the land route is exposed or conflicts with the Blue Zone. It does not remove the need to identify where to leave the water.
Before entering the water, find a place to get out on the opposite shore. Look for nearby cover and opponents who could watch that exit. Swimming faster does not protect the character when climbing out into an enemy’s view. The new pistol and throwing options provide limited ways to respond during a crossing. Krafton says fighting in water is still intended to be weaker than fighting on land.
| Action | Button or requirement | Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Standing kick | Right mouse button; LT on console | Put the weapon away first |
| Jump kick | Press the same button during a jump | Custom key assignments may differ |
| Fire a pistol while floating | Fire normally or look through the weapon sight | No shoulder-aiming mode; wider bullet spread |
| Repair a boat | Use an All-in-One Repair Kit while floating | Cannot be done underwater |
Kicks require an unarmed action
The default standing kick uses the right mouse button on PC or LT on console while unarmed. The jump kick uses that input while jumping, and the action can be assigned to a preferred key in the bindings. A player holding a firearm should not expect the aiming input to become a kick automatically.
Kicks cause more damage and stronger knockback than punches, with the ability to interrupt an opponent’s action. That makes distance and timing relevant to an unarmed encounter. It is not evidence that a kick is a dependable answer to an already aimed firearm. The most useful practice is learning the input and reach in a controlled situation, then recognising the limited moments in which it offers an advantage.
Doors, windows and vending machines have different interactions
The destructible-object list includes windows, wooden doors, wooden fences, jars and tyres. Krafton warns that objects of the same broad type may behave differently because of their size or structure. Some doors that cannot be destroyed can be opened quickly with a kick, but even that interaction has exceptions.
Vending machines can be kicked to obtain items faster than through a normal interaction. The cost is that the machine becomes damaged and unavailable for a period. That is a trade-off for a squad, not simply a universally better way to collect supplies. Taking the quick item may prevent the next teammate from using the same machine immediately.
Boats gain durability and a surface repair option
Boat durability increases, and the firearm damage modifiers are standardised so boats receive 50 percent damage from firearms. The patch also allows an All-in-One Repair Kit to repair a boat at the water surface. That repair is not available underwater.
The surface requirement matters when deciding where to stop. A repair action is useful only if the player can remain in the required state long enough to use it. The new damage rule does not mean boats are immune to other threats or that every damaged craft should be repaired under fire. Compare the available protection and the route to safety before committing to a stationary action.
Passing items gives squads another direct action
Update 43.1 also lets players carry certain ground items without putting them in the inventory. A carried item can be thrown with the left mouse button on PC or RT on console. This makes it possible to pass equipment directly to a teammate, including when there is no spare inventory space for the item.
A short practice session can cover the new actions in order. First, pick up an item and pass it to a teammate. Put your weapon away and try kicking while standing and while jumping. Then enter water with a pistol equipped, aim while floating and try moving slowly. Finally, dive and return to the surface to see when the character puts the pistol away and draws it again.
These changes are part of 43.1, with console maintenance planned for September 17 from 01:00 to 09:00 UTC after the earlier PC rollout. Until that console update arrives, missing actions are not necessarily a settings fault. The additions create more choices for close-range movement and water crossings, but each choice still has a cost in exposure, timing or availability.
