Black Market 2023: A PUBG Shopping Spree I Still Think About in 2026

Hello players! Or, as I like to call us, professional loot goblins with a G-COIN habit. I’m writing this from the far-flung future of 2026, looking back at the November 2023 Store update like a raccoon reminiscing about a particularly shiny dumpster. It was the eleventh Store update of 2023, and Krafton didn’t just open a shop—it opened a portal to financial regret and cosmetic joy. The headline? Black Market 2023 and another Double G-COIN event, because nothing says “festive” like watching your virtual wallet develop a nervous twitch.

Now, if you missed it—or if you were busy pretending to be productive—the Black Market returned with the long-awaited Progressive Weapon Skins, plus fresh items and brand-new special crafting items. It was like a museum heist, except the museum was your inventory and the security guard was your own self-control, snoring loudly in the corner. Progressive skins are the crown jewels of PUBG cosmetics: they level up, they glow, and they make you feel like a walking fireworks display. I wanted all of them. I needed none of them. I bought some anyway.

And because Krafton understands that we are all magpies with credit cards, they added the Double G-COIN promotion. That’s the equivalent of putting a “free samples” sign next to a bottomless buffet. You tell yourself you’ll just look. Next thing you know, you’re doing algebra to figure out how many G-COIN bundles fit into your monthly budget. The answer is always “one more than you planned.”

Here’s the thing that made this update unusually smooth: starting with the November 2023 Store update, bundle/set items were automatically opened when purchased. No more clicking through a Matryoshka doll of unopened crates just to find the one pair of pants you actually wanted. That quality-of-life change was like finally learning to fold a fitted sheet—rare, beautiful, and slightly suspicious. The feature applied to the listed items, and honestly, it should be standard in every game. I don’t want to play inventory Tetris; I want to look fabulous while I panic in a bush.

The sales periods were split between PC and console, which meant PC players got to strut around first while console players stared at the calendar like a cat watching a laser pointer it couldn’t reach. Here’s the original schedule, preserved like a fossil in amber:

Platform	Crafter Pass & Hideout Sales Period	Special Crafting Closing Date	Double G-COIN Sales Period
PC	UTC: Nov 8 after maintenance – Dec 6, 12 AM / KST: Nov 8 after maintenance – Dec 6, 9 AM	UTC: Dec 11, 12 AM / KST: Dec 11, 9 AM	UTC: Nov 8 after maintenance – Nov 15, 2 AM / KST: Nov 8 after maintenance – Nov 15, 11 AM
Console	UTC: Nov 16 after maintenance – Dec 14, 1 AM / KST: Nov 16 after maintenance – Dec 14, 10 AM	UTC: Dec 19, 1 AM / KST: Dec 19, 10 AM	UTC: Nov 16 after maintenance – Nov 23, 1 AM / KST: Nov 16 after maintenance – Nov 23, 10 AM

A quick note for my fellow time travelers: the items could reappear through other in-game platforms, events, or promotions even after their sales periods. The dates themselves were subject to change. And each Double G-COIN bundle could only be purchased once per account during the sales period—so no, you couldn’t just keep buying the same bundle until your credit card filed a restraining order.

In 2026, the Black Market has become a recurring ritual, but the 2023 edition still feels like the moment the Store learned to weaponize nostalgia. Progressive Weapon Skins returned, costumes tempted us, and special crafting items gave us a reason to grind like caffeinated beavers. It was chaos. It was commerce. It was beautiful.

So what did I learn? Three things. One: auto-opening bundles is a gift from the gaming gods. Two: Double G-COIN events are dangerous for anyone who thinks “just browsing” is a personality trait. Three: Black Market 2023 was not just a sale; it was a test of character. I failed gloriously, and I’d do it again. Have fun shopping—and may your G-COIN last longer than your resolve.