Rust Game Guide: Force Wipe Schedule, Crossplay, Console and Base Tips

What Is Rust?

Rust drops you naked on a large island with nothing but a rock and a torch. You hit trees and stones for wood and metal, craft tools and weapons, and build a base to store your loot. Every server is shared with other real players who can be friendly or can raid you, so the game is as much about trust and defence as it is about survival. Rust entered early access on Steam in December 2013 and fully released on February 8, 2018.

Rust Force Wipe Schedule

A force wipe resets every official and community server at the same time when Facepunch releases its monthly update. The map, bases and items are cleared and everyone starts fresh.

• When: the first Thursday of every month, usually around 2 PM Eastern, 11 AM Pacific or 7 PM UK time.
• Next dates: Thursday, November 5, 2026 and Thursday, December 3, 2026.
• Blueprints: your learned blueprints are only wiped when Facepunch announces a blueprint wipe, which is less often.
• Server wipes: many community servers also wipe weekly or every two weeks. Check the server name or description.

Is Rust Cross Platform?

Not between PC and console. Rust on PC and Rust Console Edition are separate games built on different code, so PC players cannot join console servers and progress does not carry over. On consoles, Xbox and PlayStation players can play together, and console crossplay is turned on by default. You can choose Xbox only or PlayStation only servers if you prefer.

Rust Console Edition Explained

Rust Console Edition is made by Double Eleven for PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. It is built for controllers, receives updates later than the PC game and has some PC features missing or simplified. You cannot host your own server for free; console servers are rented through approved partners.

Latest Rust Updates

• Breach and Clear (September 3, 2026): upkeep that scales with group size and changes to monuments.
• Livestock (October 1, 2026): added cows and sheep, a Bandit Camp helipad and power locked loot rooms.
• Halloween update (October 22, 2026): a mandatory update with seasonal features. It is not a wipe.

Rust Base Design Tips for Beginners

• Start small: a 2 by 1 stone base with a sheet metal door is enough for your first night.
• Place a Tool Cupboard early: it stops other players building around you and pays your upkeep. Keep enough wood, stone and metal in it.
• Add an airlock: two doors in a row stop raiders running in when you open the front door.
• Honeycomb later: extra layers of walls around your core make raids much more expensive.
• Hide your loot: spread boxes around the base instead of keeping everything in one room.

Rust Twitch Drops Explained

During drop campaigns, Facepunch gives free skins to players who watch participating Rust streamers on Twitch or Kick. To claim them, link your Steam account to your Twitch or Kick account, watch for the required time while the campaign is live, then claim the item from the drops page. Skins arrive in your Steam inventory.

Games Like Rust

• DayZ: hardcore zombie survival with other players.
• ARK: Survival Ascended: survival and base building with dinosaurs. See our ARK guide.
• 7 Days to Die: build a base and survive zombie hordes every seventh night.
• Valheim: Viking survival with friends, less player versus player.
• Conan Exiles: open world survival with base building and raids.

Defend a Base in Your Browser

Plan walls and turrets against growing raider waves in Base Defense, or survive on the move in Wasteland Survivor. Both are free and work on phone or PC.