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

12:05am EST - It’s a fresh month for Rust development and after a successful update last week, the team is working on a new weapon, a new server event, some tweaks / bug fixes, and best of all, optimization!

Our update preview stream will go live at 3pm EST. Follow @Rustafied for more news throughout the day. Let’s get into it...

L96 Incoming

A new weapon is on its way. The L96 is a military grade sniper rifle which features an 8x scope. Tom completed the model, materials, and collision mesh this week, checking off an important milestone in seeing this in game.

The specific details of this weapon won’t be defined untill actual implementation. That said, there are a couple of likely possibilities: It probably won’t be craftable, will very likely use 5.56 ammo, and will only be obtainable through very few means (maybe a server event).

No set date for when we’ll be able to play around with this new weapon in game, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it makes its way in for the update next month. As always, we’ll keep you posted on the progression.

In the meantime, here's what the model looks like. Check out Tom's ArtStation page to see more.

Bandit town tweaks

Rust’s newest monument - after a successful launch last week - has received a couple tweaks. Specifically, Bandit guards are now more reactive to explosives. Also, guards have been added to the base level of the dredge.

Skin optimization

Andre is playing around with how custom skins are loaded. Previously, they would just be loaded on the fly as they showed up in game. This was not ideal as it caused many clients to continually lag out in game. This problem has been compounded over the last months due to the sheer number of skins added each week.

Thankfully, Andre has switched it to simply include all skins in the main install of the game. Although this will cause for a larger install file, it should help significantly with stutter issues in game.

Cargo ship event

Vince and Damien are working on the art to go with an upcoming server event, the Cargo Ship. As described in the roadmap, the Cargo Ship will periodically circle the Rust island, carrying scientists and equipment, allowing players to approach and board to battle each other and secure loot.

I asked Damien for some sneak peeks but he said he'd rather hold off another week for something more concrete to show off. No word yet on when this’ll make it into the game, however, given it’s top on the “Now” list of the roadmap - I’d say it’s likely to happen sooner rather than later.

Other stuff

• Fixed glitchy RHIB visuals under shader level 300
• Fix for ambient sounds
• Fixed boats decaying while in use