Document Control¶

Field	Value
Document ID	rust-updates-meta-foundation
Version	1.0.0
Status	frozen
Confidence	Medium
Category	Game Updates & Meta
Region	Global
Game build checked	October 2026 update (Livestock Update, 1 Oct 2026)
Owner	Rust KB Research Pipeline
Created	2026-10-08
Updated	2026-10-08
Review due	2026-11-08

Executive Summary¶

This document explains how Rust ships updates: a major content update on the first Thursday of each month, announced by a Facepunch devblog, with the official force wipe tied to that release. It covers how to read a devblog, which Steam branches exist for testing, how game modes such as softcore differ from vanilla, platform and licence facts, and a timeline of the eight most recent monthly updates (March to October 2026) read directly from Facepunch.

Document-level confidence is Medium. The monthly cadence and the devblog contents are directly verified from primary Facepunch sources. The exact force-wipe hour, the console edition's current schedule, and the purpose of non-staging branches rest on a community wiki, secondary reporting, or could not be confirmed.

Key Facts¶

Each of the eight monthly devblogs from March to October 2026 is dated the first Thursday of its month [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9].
The Facepunch wiki states the default wipe schedules (monthly, weekly, biweekly) "align with force wipes" and gives the monthly default as the first Thursday of the month at 19:00 London time [11].
The latest verified update is the "Livestock Update" of 1 October 2026 [2]; by the same pattern the next would fall on 5 November 2026 (assessed).
Server owners can test unreleased builds with SteamCMD app_update 258550 -beta staging or -beta aux01 [12].
Rust left Early Access on 8 February 2018 and is published by Facepunch Studios on Windows and macOS on Steam [13][14].
Console editions are a separate product developed with Double Eleven, with PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions released 26 June 2025 [14].
None of the eight reviewed devblogs explicitly mentions a force wipe [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9].

Scope¶

Covers PC (Steam) Rust: update cadence, devblog reading, branches, game modes and server types at a conceptual level, platform and licence notes, and a recent-update timeline. Build checked: October 2026 update. Console edition is covered only as a separate product. Detailed mechanics, items, base building, server administration and modding live in sibling documents and are not restated.

Definitions¶

Force wipe: the monthly Facepunch release after which servers are expected to reset map and progress. The wiki treats default wipe schedules as aligned to it [11].
Devblog: the monthly Facepunch news post on rust.facepunch.com describing an update and its changelist [1].
Staging / aux01: optional Steam beta branches for testing unreleased builds [12].
Softcore / hardcore: game modes referenced in the Common Ground update; softcore has a 2x gather multiplier and raid windows [5].

Core Mechanics¶

Cadence. The Facepunch news index lists a devblog on the first Thursday of every month from March to October 2026 [1]. Wikipedia reports that after leaving Early Access the update cycle moved from weekly to monthly, citing PC Gamer [14]. The Facepunch wiki gives the default monthly wipe as the first Thursday at 19:00 London time and notes defaults align with force wipes [11].

Reading a devblog. Posts are titled with a theme name and dated; the page contains headline features, followed by a changelist (the "Breach and Clear" post is labelled the September Update Changelist, and "Power Trip" gives changelist 4044) [3][4]. Convar names and launch parameters appear inline, for example vehicle.padrepairsrequired [2], antihack.parenthistory [6], and the opt-in -useNewNavmesh parameter [3]. Experimental or opt-in features are flagged in the text, such as the Rust Render Pipeline toggle [2]. Wipe-relevant behaviour is usually stated in terms of "the wipe" rather than a dated force wipe [2][6]. Non-update news posts exist and are not devblogs, for example the Lunar New Year post [10].

Branches. The Facepunch wiki says beta branches let you test features not released to the public, using SteamCMD against app ID 258550, with staging and aux01 as the documented examples; moving back requires specifying public [12]. The "Shipshape" post mentions data from an "EU Staging server" [9]. The purpose of aux01 beyond testing is not stated in the sources opened.

Modes and server types. The "Common Ground" update documents Softcore changes (2x resource gather multiplier, scheduled raid windows defaulting to 6 PM to 9 PM server time with Tool Cupboard raid blocking outside them) and notes the clan system is disabled in hardcore mode [5]. The wiki's server page lists a "Gamemodes" topic under server hosting [15]. Community servers set their own wipe timing; the wiki exposes wipeDayofWeek, wipeHourofDay, wipeTimezone and cron overrides for the in-game wipe timer [11].

Platform and licence. Steam lists Facepunch Studios as developer and publisher, with a release date of 8 February 2018 and Windows and macOS support [13]. Early Access began December 2013 and ended 8 February 2018 [14]. The Steam page does not state an Early Access status, only a user tag [13]. Console editions for PS4 and Xbox One launched 21 May 2021 with Double Eleven; PS5 and Xbox Series X/S early access began 19 June 2025 with full release 26 June 2025; the PS4/Xbox One versions were delisted 29 May 2025 and their servers shut in October 2025 [14].

Reference Data¶

Verified update timeline (all from Facepunch devblogs, accessed 2026-10-08; build checked is each post itself).

Date	Update	Headline content	Source
Thu 5 Mar 2026	Shipshape	Boat building fixes, Deep Sea changes, longer daylight, Secure server tag	[9]
Thu 2 Apr 2026	Spring Clean	Armoured Ladder Hatch, Water Wheel, tech tree multi-unlock, overfishing, new F1 menu	[8]
Thu 7 May 2026	Upgrade hard, raid harder	Workbench upgrades, Mortar, server browser regions	[7]
Thu 4 Jun 2026	Built Different	New player model, Unity 6 upgrade, new navmesh (opt-in), M16A2	[6]
Thu 2 Jul 2026	Common Ground	Apartment Complex, Softcore updates, Clan System	[5]
Thu 6 Aug 2026	Power Trip	Power Plant, powerline poles, satellite crash event, new demo UI	[4]
Thu 3 Sep 2026	Breach and Clear	Monument Blockers, upkeep group scaling, HQM node	[3]
Thu 1 Oct 2026	Livestock Update	Cows and sheep, Biofuel Generator, Powergrid loot rooms, Rust Render Pipeline	[2]

Wipe timer defaults (Facepunch wiki, checked 2026-10-08) [11]:

Schedule	Default
Monthly	First Thursday, 19:00 London time [11]
Weekly	Every Thursday, 19:00 [11]
Biweekly	First and third Thursday [11]
Default day / hour / timezone	Thursday (4) / 19 / Europe/London [11]

Version & Patch Notes¶

Dec 2013: Early Access launch on Steam [14].
8 Feb 2018: full release; update cycle moves from weekly to monthly [14].
21 May 2021: PS4/Xbox One console release; 26 Jun 2025 PS5/Xbox Series X/S full release [14].
Jun 2026: Unity 6 upgrade and a new navmesh, disabled by default [6]; Jul 2026: Jobs 3 becomes default, Jobs 2 slated for removal in August [5].
Aug 2026: SetFlag slated for removal with the September wipe, dated 3 Sep 2026 [4].
Oct 2026: Rust Render Pipeline toggle available in experimental settings for the first month [2]. Volatile: experimental toggles and opt-in launch parameters change month to month.

Common Pitfalls¶

Treating the wiki's 19:00 London default as the publication time of each update: it is a wipe-timer default, not a statement of when each update is published [11].
Assuming all servers wipe monthly: the wiki describes weekly and biweekly schedules as ordinary configurations [11].
Forgetting that Oxide reinstalls are needed after each server update, and that running SteamCMD at startup reverts files to vanilla [12].
Assuming the Steam store page documents an Early Access phase; it does not [13].
Assuming console follows the PC cadence; Double Eleven develops it separately [14].

Each monthly update changes systems covered elsewhere: see rust-game-mechanics-foundation, rust-items-crafting-foundation and rust-building-raiding-foundation (for example upkeep group scaling in September [3]), rust-server-administration-foundation (wipe timer and branches [11][12]) and rust-modding-plugins-foundation (deprecations such as SetFlag, community UI components [4], Oxide reinstallation [12]).

Assessed Guidance¶

Guidance 1 — Plan around the first Thursday and re-verify details each month¶

Guidance: Treat the first Thursday of each month as update and wipe day, and recheck the devblog for that month before relying on any value in this knowledge base.
Evidence basis: Eight consecutive devblogs on first Thursdays [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]; wiki defaults aligned with force wipes [11].
Confidence: High. The pattern is directly observed in primary sources for eight months and matches the wiki.
So what: Players schedule wipe-day play for the first Thursday; admins plan mod updates the same day.

Guidance 2 — Admins should pin the branch and expect plugin lag¶

Guidance: Run the public branch for live servers, use staging or aux01 only on a test server, and delay the wipe-day launch until the framework you use has updated.
Evidence basis: Branch commands and the Oxide reinstall warning [12]; the staging server reference [9].
Confidence: Medium. The commands are documented but the stability of each branch is not stated in the sources opened.
So what: A test server on staging catches plugin breakage before wipe day.

Guidance 3 — Check the specific mode before quoting rates or rules¶

Guidance: Do not assume vanilla values apply on softcore or modded servers; verify the mode first.
Evidence basis: Softcore 2x gather and raid windows [5]; wipe timer configurable by hosts [11].
Confidence: Medium. Mode behaviour is documented for softcore only; other modes were not verified.
So what: Guides quoting vanilla numbers can be wrong on community servers.

Open Questions¶

The exact force-wipe hour for the October 2026 update was not confirmed from a Facepunch post; only the wiki default (19:00 London) was seen [11].
Whether Facepunch publishes a formal definition of every beta branch (aux01 purpose) was not found [12].
Console Edition's current 2026 update and wipe cadence could not be confirmed from an official source; reporting found was dated 2021 to 2022.
Official dates for the Early Access start rely on Wikipedia citing PC Gamer [14], not a Facepunch page.
The next update date (5 November 2026) is an inference from the pattern.

References¶

Numbered contiguously from [1].

Primary Sources

[1] Facepunch — Rust news index. https://rust.facepunch.com/news. Accessed 2026-10-08.
[2] Facepunch — Livestock Update (1 Oct 2026). https://rust.facepunch.com/news/livestock. Accessed 2026-10-08.
[3] Facepunch — Breach and Clear (3 Sep 2026). https://rust.facepunch.com/news/breach-and-clear. Accessed 2026-10-08.
[4] Facepunch — Power Trip (6 Aug 2026). https://rust.facepunch.com/news/power-trip. Accessed 2026-10-08.
[5] Facepunch — Common Ground (2 Jul 2026). https://rust.facepunch.com/news/common-ground. Accessed 2026-10-08.
[6] Facepunch — Built Different (4 Jun 2026). https://rust.facepunch.com/news/built-different. Accessed 2026-10-08.
[7] Facepunch — Upgrade hard, raid harder (7 May 2026). https://rust.facepunch.com/news/upgrade-hard-raid-harder. Accessed 2026-10-08.
[8] Facepunch — Spring Clean (2 Apr 2026). https://rust.facepunch.com/news/spring-clean. Accessed 2026-10-08.
[9] Facepunch — Shipshape (5 Mar 2026). https://rust.facepunch.com/news/shipshape. Accessed 2026-10-08.
[10] Facepunch — Lunar New Year 2026. https://rust.facepunch.com/news/lunar-new-year-2026. Accessed 2026-10-08.
[11] Facepunch Rust Wiki — Server Wipe Timer. https://wiki.facepunch.com/rust/Server-Wipe-Timer. Accessed 2026-10-08.
[12] Facepunch Rust Wiki — Creating a server. https://wiki.facepunch.com/rust/Creating-a-server. Accessed 2026-10-08.
[13] Steam — Rust on Steam. https://store.steampowered.com/app/252490/Rust/. Accessed 2026-10-08.

Community & Practitioner Evidence

[14] Wikipedia — Rust (video game). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rust_(video_game). Accessed 2026-10-08.
[15] Facepunch Rust Wiki — Rust Wiki home page. https://wiki.facepunch.com/rust/. Accessed 2026-10-08.

Further Reading

None.

Revision History¶

Version	Date	Author	Change	Approved By
0.1.0	2026-10-08	Research Pipeline (virtual agent)	Initial draft.	—
1.0.0	2026-10-08	Orchestrator	Frozen after green QA (validate, genre audit, markdownlint, 100% links live).	Auto-approve mandate