- Progression
- Level 2 and Level 3 Workbenches need Blueprint Fragments; research costs less.
- Sea
- Build ships and head beyond the map into the Deep Sea.
- Monuments
- The power plant affects loot access and market deliveries.
- Bases
- Large groups now pay an upkeep tax.
- Livestock
- Cows, sheep, and genetic breeding have been added.
Rust updates over the year: a quick timeline
Facepunch releases a monthly update on the first Thursday of the month, along with a server wipe. From October 2025 to October 2026, the timeline includes 12 updates and a December break with no major update; servers only wiped that month. January’s release was a short year-in-review, not a big batch of new mechanics. You can check the release dates in the Rust Steam news.
| Month | Update | Key changes |
|---|---|---|
| October 2025 | Meta Shift | Blueprint Fragments for Workbenches, loot rework, and crosshair settings |
| November 2025 | Pivot or Die | Blueprint wipe, cheaper research, and tech tree |
| December 2025 | No major update | Only a wipe on December 4; some content arrived at Christmas |
| January 2026 | Surviving 12 years | A look back at 2025 |
| February 2026 | Naval Update | Shipbuilding and the Deep Sea |
| March 2026 | Shipshape | Ship changes and longer days |
| April 2026 | Spring Clean | Armoured Ladder Hatch, water wheel, tech tree unlocks |
| May 2026 | Upgrade hard, raid harder | Workbench upgrades, mortar, and grenade tripwire |
| June 2026 | Built Different | New player model, ballistic armor, and M16A2 |
| July 2026 | Common Ground | Apartment Complex, shop rentals, clan tables, and Softcore changes |
| August 2026 | Power Trip | Player-operated power plant and Satellite Crash |
| September 2026 | Breach and Clear | Monument barriers and upkeep tax for large groups |
| October 2026 | Livestock | Cows, sheep, a biofuel generator, and new loot rooms |
If you’re wondering what changed in Rust after a long break, start with Workbenches and the power plant. Workbenches determine your tech progression, while the power plant now affects what you can do at other monuments. Large groups should also pay attention to base upkeep rules, and raid time restrictions apply to Softcore.
October and November 2025: Blueprint Fragments and cheaper research
Meta Shift launched on October 2, 2025, and changed how you reach Workbench Level 2 and Level 3: you now need Blueprint Fragments. Facepunch explained the goal in its update announcement: bring players back to monuments and slow progression. Scrap alone is no longer enough to reach the next tiers.
Where to find Workbench fragments
A Level 2 Workbench requires 5 Basic Fragments. Basic and Advanced Fragments come from different sources, and you can trade Basic Fragments for Advanced ones.
- Basic Fragments can be found in green and blue monument puzzle rooms, as well as in airdrops.
- Advanced Fragments can be found in hackable crates and have a 1-in-10 chance to drop from elite crates.
- You can trade 20 Basic Fragments for 1 Advanced Fragment.
The same update shuffled loot at almost every monument. The Nuclear Missile Silo became a Red Card monument, so it’s worth revisiting your old routes. The update also added a spiked trap for 80 wood and new crosshair settings: style, color, dot size, outline, and sharing crosshairs with a code.
What got cheaper after the blueprint wipe?
On November 6, Pivot or Die wiped all blueprints and lowered the cost of research and the tech tree. Workbench recipes no longer required scrap, but still needed fragments.
- Common items: 15 scrap instead of 20.
- Uncommon items: 30 scrap instead of 75.
- Rare items: 60 scrap instead of 125.
- Very Rare items: 120 scrap instead of 500.
Quality-of-life changes included sorting boxes through a storage adapter and a mini fridge with 18 slots that uses 3 power. The attack helicopter also got a pass, and new camera codes were added at the Cargo Ship and Ferry Terminal.
December 2025 and January 2026: the naval update delay and a year in review
Servers wiped on December 4, but there was no major update. Facepunch skipped its monthly release window for the first time: the naval update was too big, so it was pushed to February 5, 2026, rather than released unfinished over the holidays. The studio explained the delay in its announcement; some of the content arrived with the Christmas update on December 18.
On January 1, Facepunch posted a short update called Surviving 12 years, looking back at 2025. Here are the stats published by Facepunch.
- Steam’s all-time peak hit 259,646 players. Over the year, Rust had more than 5.8 million unique players and 700 million hours played.
- Players received more than 37 million drops, and the Workshop added 28,523 creations.
- More than 338,000 bans were issued, with over 296,000 of them permanent.
- Most cheaters were removed from the game in under 7 hours of play; in early 2025, that figure was 10 hours.
February and March 2026: ships and the Deep Sea
Naval Update launched on February 5 and added ships built by players. Beyond the edge of the map, the Deep Sea brought tropical islands, floating cities, ghost ships, and scientist boats. The update also added the PT boat and new scientists on oil rigs.
Our Rust ships guide covers how to build a ship and set sail. For now, just remember that there’s more to the naval content than the main map.
How ships changed and how long the day lasts
On March 5, Shipshape brought changes to ships: they got electricity and wallpaper, cannon hits started slowing them down, and decay now starts after 24 hours instead of 12.
Shipshape made the day about 20 minutes longer. The night didn’t change and still lasts around 10 minutes.
April and May 2026: building, electricity, and Workbench upgrades
Spring Clean launched on April 2. It added the Armoured Ladder Hatch for the Level 3 Workbench, in square and triangular versions. For electricity, the update added a water wheel powered by river currents.
The tech tree is easier to unlock now: you can unlock the whole branch up to a selected item at once. Plants also stay ripe for 24 hours instead of 14.
Workbench bonuses and new raid weapons
On May 7, Upgrade hard, raid harder added Workbench upgrades: bonuses found in crates. Our Workbench upgrades guide covers what they do and where to find them. The update also added a mortar and a grenade-loaded tripwire.
Don’t mix up the two Workbench changes: Blueprint Fragments are needed to craft Level 2 and Level 3 Workbenches, while upgrades found in crates grant bonuses. If you’re looking for the bonuses, head straight to our separate guide.
June and July 2026: a new player model and an apartment complex
On June 4, Built Different replaced the player model for the first time in nearly 10 years. It changed the proportions, faces, and hairstyles. The update also added ballistic armor, BDU, and the M16A2, which fires 3-round bursts.
Ballistic armor and BDU are loot-only and can’t be crafted. You can only get the M16A2 from loot, too; unlocking tech won’t get you one. There’s also a visual change: you can now inspect skins in your hand right from the shop.
Room rentals, shops, and Softcore
On July 2, Common Ground added the Apartment Complex monument. You can rent a room there with scrap, from a basement room to a penthouse. Players can also rent shops inside the complex, and the update added clan tables.
Softcore now has double resource gathering and a raid window from 18:00 to 21:00 server time. These rules apply only to Softcore, not the whole game.
August and September 2026: the power plant and base upkeep tax
On August 6, Power Trip introduced monuments that players operate themselves. Start the power plant with Heavy Fuses, and it supplies power along roads and unlocks new options at other monuments. The Launch Site also got the Satellite Crash event.
The power plant now affects what happens beyond its walls. If you’re coming back for loot, check out our Power Trip breakdown: the plant’s status is now part of your monument route, rather than a separate objective at the plant itself.
How much is the tax for a large group?
On September 3, Breach and Clear added a base upkeep tax for large groups. The rate depends on player count: the first 4 players are tax-free, the next 6 pay one rate, and each player beyond that pays another.
| Group size | Upkeep tax |
|---|---|
| First 4 players | No tax |
| Next 6 players | 2% per player |
| Every player after that | 4% per player |
The same update added barriers to Red Card monuments and High Quality Metal Ore nodes. Market drone deliveries now work only when the power plant is on. We cover these wipe-start and base-upkeep changes in our Breach and Clear breakdown.
Rust’s October 2026 update: livestock and new loot rooms
Livestock launched on October 1 with cows and sheep. The update added milk, cream, and wool, genetic breeding, and a livestock trader at the stables. If you’re looking for Rust’s new farming features, our guide to cows, sheep, and breeding covers how it all works.
- Added a biofuel generator.
- Added stepped sandbags.
- The power plant unlocks new loot rooms.
- At the start of a wipe, you need to repair the helipad at Bandit Camp before you can use it.
For a full overview, see our Livestock breakdown.
When to expect Halloween and the November update
According to the Facepunch announcement, the Halloween update is coming on October 22, 2026, at 18:00 London time, or 20:00 in Kyiv. The next monthly update is set for November 5, 2026. Check the forced wipe schedule for regular wipe dates, and keep the holiday release in mind separately.
Frequently asked questions
When do Rust updates come out?
Facepunch releases a monthly update on the first Thursday of the month, along with a server wipe. December 2025 was an exception: the major update was skipped, and only a wipe took place on December 4.
What did Rust add in 2026?
From January to October, Rust added shipbuilding and the Deep Sea, Workbench upgrades, a mortar, a new player model, ballistic armor, and the M16A2. There’s also an apartment complex, a player-operated power plant, upkeep tax for large groups, and cows and sheep. Softcore got double resource gathering and raids limited to a set window based on server time.
What’s the latest Rust update?
The latest update covered here is Livestock, released on October 1, 2026. It added cows, sheep, genetic breeding, a biofuel generator, and new loot rooms linked to the power plant.
When is the next Rust update?
After Livestock, the next monthly update is set for November 5, 2026. Before that, the Halloween update is scheduled for October 22 at 18:00 in London and 20:00 in Kyiv.
