Facepunch describes the roadmap as a direction, not a promise. The studio shifts priorities in response to problems in the game and community feedback, so a task listed for a quarter isn’t guaranteed to ship on time.
- Completed
- Q1–Q3 2026
- Already out
- Animal husbandry and biofuel generator
- Remaining
- 4 named Q4 items
- 2027
- A list of plans without further details
Where to find the Rust Roadmap and what it includes
The official Rust Roadmap covers the 2026 quarters, plans for 2027, and stretch goals. The page was updated on August 27, 2026. Facepunch first showed its 2026 Rust roadmap in Shipshape on March 5, as a snapshot of a plan that would change as patches rolled out.
The roadmap doesn’t include weekly bug fixes, performance work, balance changes, or small quality-of-life updates. Those are ongoing. Facepunch also leaves some months with little or no new content in its internal plans, so it can polish the game and respond to feedback.
Some features arrive outside the roadmap. For example, the developer made the demo and filming tools from Power Trip in their free time. To check whether a specific mechanic has shipped, we’d look at the release notes for that update. A quarterly marker shows the general status, but the actual release date can differ from the original plan.
Q1 2026: boats, longer days, and anti-cheat
The naval part of the roadmap arrived in Naval Update on February 5. Players got modular boats and the Deep Sea area, with islands, floating cities, and ghost ships. The other items for the quarter shipped between March and May.
| Roadmap item | Update | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| Boats, Deep Sea, islands, floating cities, ghost ships, missions, and NPC AI | Naval Update | February 5, 2026 |
| Longer days | Shipshape | March 5, 2026 |
| New anti-cheat layer | Shipshape | March 5, 2026 |
| Redesigned server browser | Upgrade hard, raid harder | May 7, 2026 |
Naval Update also added missions and updated scientist AI at oil rigs, ghost ships, and Deep Sea islands. Shipshape extended daylight by about 20 minutes. The night stayed the same, at around 10 minutes.
A new anti-cheat layer lets servers require players to have TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot. Those servers are marked Secure in the browser, and Facepunch increased their number in Livestock. The redesigned server browser itself only arrived in May, with protection against servers spoofing their ping.
Q2: building, workbenches, and a new player model
April’s Spring Clean wrapped up the building and technical tasks. May’s Upgrade hard, raid harder added the mortar, tripwire, and interface updates. The new player model, M16A2, and armor arrived in June’s Built Different.
| Roadmap item | Update | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| Armored ladder hatch, water wheel, terrain rendering, and F1 console | Spring Clean | April 2, 2026 |
| Mortar, Tin Can Alarm, workbench upgrades, and vending machine window | Upgrade hard, raid harder | May 7, 2026 |
| New player model, M16A2, and armor set | Built Different | June 4, 2026 |
In Spring Clean, Facepunch replaced Unity’s terrain renderer with its own. In the studio’s example, it cut draw calls by about 1,000. The May update changed the Tin Can Alarm: you can now attach different items to it, including grenades.
The roadmap’s Kevlar armor and what arrived in June
The roadmap called the new armor set Kevlar. Built Different added Ballistic Armour and a BDU uniform. Both are loot-only, as is the M16A2.
Q3: Apartment Complex, clans, and monuments
July brought room and shop rentals in the Apartment Complex, along with a clan system. Player-run monuments arrived in August, followed by barriers at red-card monuments in September.
| Roadmap item | Update | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| Apartment Complex with room and shop rentals, clan system | Common Ground | July 2, 2026 |
| Player-run monuments | Power Trip | August 6, 2026 |
| Barriers at monuments | Breach and Clear | September 3, 2026 |
| Monument and progression improvements | General items with no separate section in the release notes | No specific date listed |
In Common Ground, the clan table added more member slots, roles and permissions, a dedicated chat, and a clan name above each player. The Apartment Complex introduced room and shop rentals.
In Power Trip, a power plant with heavy-duty fuses started supplying power to other monuments. Breach and Clear added barriers at red-card monuments. Weak barriers can be broken with melee weapons, while barriers left intact for 24 hours start to decay.
Q4: animal husbandry and the generator are already in the game
Livestock launched on October 1, 2026, completing 2 of the quarter’s goals: animals and the biofuel generator. Check out our Rust animal husbandry guide for setting up a farm and breeding animals.
- Cows and sheep have genes and can be bred.
- The new navigation system guides animals into player-built structures and takes open and closed doors into account.
- Frogs, rabbits, squirrels, sea turtles, crabs, and jellyfish add atmosphere.
- The biofuel generator runs on raw and spoiled meat.
What’s coming to Rust: the remaining Q4 items
After Livestock, 4 named tasks remain for the quarter. As of October 9, 2026, none of them are complete. Premium already has an access system, but Facepunch hasn’t shared details about the bug bounty system.
Rust Premium
Facepunch’s Premium servers have been live since March 2025. In June 2026, Premium was renamed Premium Access Pass, with no change to how it works: players still get access if their Steam inventory is worth at least $15. Facepunch said the rename was preparation for future monetization.
Dogs and player customization
In June, Facepunch said the new animal navigation system would lay the groundwork for cows, sheep, and dogs. Cows and sheep are already in Livestock, while dogs remain on the Q4 roadmap. The studio hasn’t given them a separate release date.
Player customization is still on the roadmap too. In June, Facepunch confirmed that an update was planned. The new player model removed one of the main obstacles to it.
Bug bounty system
Facepunch hasn’t shared details about the Bug Reward System. The studio has run a HackerOne vulnerability rewards program since April 2025, but that’s a separate program. Don’t count it as a completed roadmap item.
When the next updates are due
The next update dates are known, but Facepunch hasn’t tied the remaining roadmap items to them. Check the Rust force wipe schedule for monthly updates and server wipes.
- October 22, 2026, 20:00 Kyiv time — Halloween update.
- November 5, 2026, 21:00 Kyiv time — monthly update with a force wipe.
- December 3, 2026, 21:00 Kyiv time — monthly update with a force wipe.
Facepunch’s plans for 2027
Facepunch has published a list of plans for 2027, but hasn’t detailed their mechanics or timelines yet. Here are the roadmap items by name. It’s too early to say exactly how server transfers, caves, or terrain deformation will work.
- Nexus system: Server Transfer and Deep Sea Nexus.
- Improved animal AI.
- Procedural caves.
- Nomadic Dweller.
- Underground train improvements.
- Terrain deformation.
- Grappling Hook.
- New weapons.
- Other improvements.
Stretch goals with no release dates
Stretch goals sit outside the quarterly roadmap and the 2027 plan. They’re goals without deadlines, not another queue of scheduled updates. Facepunch listed them without further details.
- Programmable robot.
- Heat propagation through bases.
- Global network bases.
- Cobalt watchtower.
- Dead whale.
- Basement modules for bases.
- Base Renovation.
- Bridges.
- Improved rivers.
- Bounty system.
- Updated mission system.
- BDU/Kevlar.
- M79 grenade launcher.
- 9 mm Uzi.
- G3A3.
- Railway handcar.
- More unique locations in the world.
- Farming 2.5, plantable trees.
- More late-game power generators.
- Culling inside bases.
- Advanced crafter.
- Matrix screens.
- Switchboard / Circuitboard.
- Computer.
- Cobalt hovercraft.
- Frogs.
Some of these items overlap with content that’s already out. The BDU uniform arrived in Built Different in June 2026, and frogs were added as decorative animals in Livestock. These overlaps don’t set a release date for the other goals.
FAQ
Where can you find the Rust roadmap?
You can find it on Facepunch’s official page. The page was last updated on August 27, 2026. It covers the 2026 quarters, plans for 2027, and stretch goals.
What’s coming to Rust before the end of 2026?
The remaining Q4 items are Rust Premium, dogs, player customization, and a bug bounty system. Animal husbandry and the biofuel generator arrived in Livestock on October 1. The roadmap sets a direction, so there’s no guarantee that all the remaining items will ship by the end of the year.
When are dogs coming to Rust?
Dogs are on the Q4 2026 roadmap, but Facepunch hasn’t announced a specific date. In June, the studio described the new animal navigation system as the basis for cows, sheep, and dogs. So far, Livestock has added cows and sheep.
What is Facepunch planning for 2027?
The list includes Nexus server transfers and Deep Sea Nexus, improved animal AI, procedural caves, and Nomadic Dweller. It also features upgrades to underground trains, terrain deformation, a Grappling Hook, new weapons, and other improvements. Facepunch hasn’t shared details or timelines for these items.
Does Facepunch promise to release everything on the roadmap?
No. Facepunch calls the roadmap a direction, not a promise set in stone. The studio responds to problems and community sentiment, and changes priorities when it thinks that’s the right call.
