4/10 6:43am EST - Facepunch are releasing another forced server/client update (no wipe still) at 10am EST (3pm BST) to fix a number of remaining exploits.

4/9 6:35pm EST - Facepunch have released a forced server/client update (no wipes).

6:20pm EST - The devblog is live!

6:00pm EST - The client and server update are out! Devblog still pending...

3:00pm EST - Our update stream is live! twitch.tv/rustafied

2:15pm EST - Helk just tweeted that it's going to be a late one. Our update stream still goes live in 45.

2:00pm EST - A whole slew of balance shifts to various items have come in. Check out the bottom of this post for a summary of the changes.

1:00am EST - Update day has arrived, and with it, there are a bunch of exciting additions to the game! A new mode of transportation, a new server event, a new source of loot, and much more!

As with all first Thursdays of the month, there will be a forced map wipe when the update hits. There is no set time for the update to go live, but generally it’s between 3 and 5pm EST (7 and 9pm GMT).

Our update stream will go live at 3pm EST. Follow @Rustafied for news throughout the day.

Update summary video

Here's an update summary video from Puddy!

Boats added

A new form of transportation is here which allows people to travel faster than ever before! After the update, ‘Rowboats’ will start spawning around the map on all servers. Although they cannot be crafted, you’ll have the opportunity to find one of around 65 per server which spawn near rivers, beaches, and lighthouses.

Long and short: They run on low grade fuel, seat up to 4 people, move at a nice click, and have storage for 12 items. I did a whole write up on boats the other day, so go check out:

Boats in Rust: What you need to know

Floating junk piles

Boats aren’t the only new thing you’ll be seeing as you gaze across the waterways in Rust - floating junk piles now litter the coastline. Like their roadside cousins, these water piles of junk feature a random assortment of barrels, wooden crates, and toolboxes.

Found offshore, sometimes over a whole map grid from land, floating junk is only reasonably gathered via boat (I would not recommend trying to swim it). To obtain that delicious loot, simply cruise up in your boat, dismount onto the junk, smash those barrels, and remount your boat. Mind how you dock, however, as it is possible to capsize if you push your boat the wrong way.

Chinook server event

The newest server event has arrived. Still a work in progress, the CH47 will be patrolling your local Rust server once the update hits. Piloted by NPC scientists, this dual-rotor helicopter flies around the map, patrolling monuments, eventually dropping a locked crate.

Several other scientists accompany the pilot, firing off rounds at Newmans as they spot them. Once they find a valid drop zone, they release a crate (similar to an airdrop). Unlike an airdrop, however, this crate is locked and stays as such until someone starts 'hacking' it (by pressing use) then waiting for the subsequent timer to unlock (15 minutes by default).

This is bound to create an intense environment as groups battle it out to access the sealed loot. As mentioned above, this functionality is still in the making. It is expected to be functional for the update, so check back here for more information as it becomes available.

Tree Revamp: Part Deux

Another round of tree revamp is in this mix this month. Along with some updated wind effects, we’ve got some new variants of trees and improvements to existing foliage. Most notable, the new Oak tree looks wonderful in both its green and red versions.

Between the first tree revamp and this one, the forests of Rust are looking more diverse and lush than ever!

Conditional building blocks

A whole bunch of work as been done on a ‘condition building blocks’ branch this month. This ‘conditional placement’ of ‘blocks’ mainly focused around that little triangle piece of roofs which is sometimes there and sometimes not.

If you’re not aware, people have been using the current dynamics to make roof vaults (which were like mad OP, yo). Thankfully, this has been remedied, making roof vaults a thing of the past.

New hair

Your Rust characters hair might look a bit different after the update. Along with improving the look of hair for non-TSSAA anti aliasing modes, the hair caps body of work also adds several new variants of style and color.

In-game map overhaul

The in-game map received a face lift from Facepunch this month. Now with more apparent shading for topology, along with a more vibrant color palette, this map features a new button! This 'focus' button will re-position the map to your location marker when pressed.

Scientists at junk piles

Those boys in blue (radsuits) have received some upgrades this month. Along with shifts in the brain department, they will now spawn near junkpiles, making them much more prevalent around the map.

That said, the landscape shouldn't be littlered with hoards of Geiger-counter-wielding zombies as they are set to despawn (if still alive) when their associated junk pile disappears.

Hapis changes

Hapis has received a variety of updates this month. Not only are there a slew of new monuments and tunnels, various areas of the map have been optimized for better base building and game play opportunities.

For all the details on these updates, check out our in-depth article.

Floating bodies and water physics

To go with all this new water-based action, some physics related to liquids has been improved. Dead bodies now float on water, allowing for easier retrieval of belongings. Along with that, bullet impacts have been added to water, increasing adrenaline in the inevitable offshore battles to come.

Miscellaneous balance shifts

Helk has added a slew of last minute balance shifts to various items. Here's a summary:

AK47 more random recoil
AK47 hip fire only has more aimcone
Less junk in elite crates and airdrops
Semi auto pistol costs 4 HQM instead of 8
Semi auto rifle now has a HQM cost of 4
SMG HQM cost has been halved
Heavy plate move speed nerf very very slightly reduced
Heavy plate costs halved
Longsleeve + tshirt cost 20 scrap to research (was 75), slightly higher radiation protection
Long sword cost reduced
HV rocket cost reduced to almost 1/4 that of rocket
HV rocket damage reduced to 1/4 rocket
Rocket lancher cost reduced
Rocket launcher durability increased
Hide armor costs reduced
Targeting computer and CCTV stackable
Binoculars are researchable

Other stuff

A bunch of audio changes to a ton of things (sound mixer work)
Cave spike pit only does damage when moving. Player does not take damage on entry anymore.
Entity pooling for bullets (improved perf during fire fights)
Fixed server description getting fucked up with random characters
Fixed gap in Garage door which allowed traps to be triggered
Fixed the tree minigame on beech trees
Added animal_ignore_food convar that defaults to true (server optimization)
Fixed being able to build on northern cliff rocks on Savas
Updated Savas Koth loot tables to add chainsaw, fire arrows, nailgun, double barrel, and flamethrower

Is there a BP wipe?

There is no forced blueprint wipe schedule with this update. Therefore, the Facepunch official servers will not wipe blueprints today. That said, some community servers (including Rustafied *) will wipe blueprints when the update goes live.

For more information on if the blueprints are going to wipe on your specific community server, please refer to their server description / website / steam group / discord / carrier pigeon messaging service / etc.

* The only exception on Rustafied servers to the blueprint wipe is US Long II, which just launch last month, so its blueprints will remain.

Introducing: EU Long II

I’m proud to announce the launch of our latest server: EU Long II. Like the other Longs, this server features 200 player slots, a 4k map, and wipes only when forced.

Look for it on the official server list near you.