It is pretty funny, at least to me, how Google's John Mueller and Gary Illyes responds to the influx of questions about there being a massive Google update or not. John and Gary are being inundated with questions and requests to confirm if it was an update.
So far, Google is not confirming anything. The closest we got to an denial is a "gut feeling" from Gary on Twitter that this is not Penguin.
@beanstalkim i can only check tomorrow. My gut feeling is that it's not @JohnMu
— Gary Illyes (@methode) January 10, 2016
He promised to check tomorrow and I am awaiting on an official response from Google.
Here are some of the funny responses from them on Twitter:
@vladrappoport @methode I asked my coworker: "yes, all the updates have been updated. what are you talking about again?"
— John Mueller (@JohnMu) January 11, 2016
@rustybrick @gfiorelli1 #sure!
— John Mueller (@JohnMu) January 11, 2016
@luckyboost I love boolean logic questions. True!
— John Mueller (@JohnMu) January 11, 2016
@cognitiveSEO @BrianHarnish @methode no
— John Mueller (@JohnMu) January 11, 2016
@beanstalkim not everything is penguin that's running around like headless chicken @JohnMu
— Gary Illyes (@methode) January 10, 2016
@rustybrick yes, no. Thanks! @JohnMu
— Gary Illyes (@methode) January 11, 2016
So there you have it - Gary and John seem to think there was not an update but they cannot say anything until they hear back from the mothership.
Forum discussion at the tweets above.