1:00pm EST - Our update preview stream is live! twitch.tv/rustafied

12:00am EST - It’s a fresh month for Rust development and the team at Facepunch is working on a new hack week along with various other projects.

Our update preview stream goes live at 1pm EST. Follow @Rustafied for news throughout the week.

Hack week projects

If you're new to the concept, a hack week is a time when developers have the freedom to work on any projects they choose. While not every idea from hack week may end up in the game, these creative bursts have historically been the birthplace of some fantastic features! Here is a summary of some of the projects we’re seeing being worked on.

Box sorting
This system can be configured directly from the loot panel and is currently set to sort items alphabetically by their short names. However, future updates will introduce additional sorting modes. An attached storage adaptor is necessary to enable sorting, which automatically removes any empty slots between items. The sort is triggered anytime the item list is modified, preventing items from being manually rearranged while sorting is active. Enhancements include a stacking option to consolidate item stacks before sorting, a category option reflecting the F1 menu order, and a custom sorting mode that replicates a snapshot of the current container's state for future sorting. Check out a video example here.

Car radios
Rust is tuning up its vehicles with the potential introduction of car radio functionality, enhancing the driving experience across the wasteland. The new car radio behaves much like the deployable boombox, offering music on the go without the need for cassettes or external power—though cassette functionality may be explored later. Compatible with all three cockpit types (regular, with engine, and armored), the radio ensures you have tunes for every trip, but only while the car is powered on.

Scrap plane
Rust's intriguing Scrap Plane project, first glimpsed about a year ago on a separate branch, appears to be being revived with this week's hack week. While most of the commits remain hidden, details about what this feature will entail are still largely under wraps. The concept of a scrap-built plane suggests an exciting new dimension of aerial exploration and transport could be on the horizon for players.

Arabic language support
Rust is expanding its global accessibility with initial steps towards integrating Arabic language support. The team has begun the process by converting the options menu, with further efforts to include all texts within the menu systems such as inventory, server browser, options, Steam inventory, and various popups. Key screens like the loading screen, inventory, selected item panel, quick craft, team UI, and missions are now also seeing texts converted to Arabic.

FP Rust Edit
Custom map creation may soon be more accessible and easy with the FP Rust Edit project underway. Many details are unclear, but this could be just the boost the custom map community needs!

Derp clean
A hack week project focused on code cleanup is a vital initiative for improving Rust's overall performance and maintainability. By refining and optimizing the underlying code, developers can enhance the game's stability and efficiency, leading to smoother gameplay experiences and making future updates easier to implement.

World update

Rust is expanding its world with a series of exciting updates and merges from various development branches. The recent integrations include the cliff branch, enhancing the game's landscapes with more detailed and dynamic cliff formations. Additionally, the dive sites branch has been merged, introducing new underwater exploration opportunities.

Fans of the game's early days will appreciate the return of legacy wood log piles, offering more resources and nostalgia. Lastly, the ocean wreck buoy merge brings new points of interest in the maritime areas, adding depth and intrigue to the oceanic parts of the map. No word on specifically when these will make it in, but there are certainly some exciting new changes on the horizon for the Rust landscape.

Digital clock

Rust is set to enhance in-game time management with the introduction of new digital clocks. These clocks will display the server time in an HH:MM format and come equipped with functional alarms that allow power to pass through while ringing, integrating seamlessly into the game's electrical systems.

Players can set alarm times using a newly added configuration UI, which includes an input field and a slider for precision settings. Further UI enhancements include the ability to save alarm settings, toggle alarms on or off, and manage them through a streamlined config screen that now features layout tweaks like a delete button and a maximum alarm count. The clocks have been updated to attach to walls or be placed on the ground, much like the counter, with an updated guide mesh to improve placement. Expect more details and visuals as work progresses and gets merged into the main branch.

Other stuff

A new round of Twitch drops is going live!
New accessibility options menu coming to help with those who are color blind
Added convar 'global.disable_clouds' to disable clouds
More work on building error UI
A voice chat CCTV project is under way (being able to talk to people through CCTV cameras?)
More work on the jungle ruins monument
Beginnings of the menu redesign, horizontal navigation
Improvements to in game DLC page UI
Exploring the parenting of bikes to the back of scrappy to see if its even feasible
Bear ragdoll prefab update, changed various colliders and character joint angles
More work on the wolf AI updates (including a new wolf howl)
Various fixes for the Patrol Helicopter
Removing "RECYCLER IN SAFE ZONE" spam at server startup
Fixes for Tin Can Alarm
Fixed motorbike speedometer not working when reversing
Fixed IO hose gray missing material
Fixed screen turning black when spectating a player in third person