12:00am EST - With just one week to go before the update we’re seeing some exciting items enter the game. From a new air vehicle and water monument to fresh electrical items and lights; sprinkle in some performance optimizations to boot and we’ve got an amazing update on the way!

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

RF Devices added

A new way to remotely trigger electrical items has arrived in the form of a RF Detonator and Receiver. These devices communicate with each other through radio frequencies which can be set by the player (ranging between 1 and 10,000,000).

The Detonator is basically the switch which communicates with any Receivers on the same frequency. Hold the trigger down to activate the receiver; let go to deactivate. There appears to be no distance limitations or restraints on number of devices on the receiving end.

The Receiver (which currently has the Lantern model in game) is an electrical switch for all intents and purposes. You can hook electrical items to it like with other switches, and the electricity flows when the remote Detonator triggers it. This can be used for a variety of purposes from turning on lights to opening doors. Interestingly enough, there is no explosive to hook up to this (which is what the name denotes) but that could be added in the future.

A RF Pager has also made its way in. Listening on frequency 55, it makes a noise when activated.

Here are some more details on these items. Keep in mind these are still works in progress, so they’re likely to change prior to the update going live next week.

RF Detonator

Crafting cost
150 metal frags

Crafting time
30 seconds

Workbench
Level 1

Recycles for
75 metal frags

Research cost
20 scrap

RF Receiver

Crafting cost
5 high quality metal

Crafting time
30 seconds

Workbench
Level 1

Recycles for
3 high quality metal

Research cost
20 scrap

RF Pager

Crafting cost
Not craftable

Recycles for
Not recyclable

Edit: A RF Broadcaster has also just been added. It sends out like the Broadcaster (on the frequency of your choice) when an electric current is sent to it.

Flasher and Siren Lights

Two new forms of lights have made their way into the game. The Flasher Light and Siren Light both run on electricity and will be good tools for warning about things, guiding the landing of Minicoptors, or simply to decorate.

The Siren Light consists of two red lights which spin around in a circle. The Flasher light on the other hand is a simple blue light which flashes quickly 3 times every other second.

Here are some details on the costs. Like the RF stuff, these values are not final and will likely change prior to the update (especially that research cost).

Flasher Light

Crafting cost
5 high quality metal

Crafting time
30 seconds

Workbench
Level 1

Recycles for
3 high quality metal

Research cost
750 scrap

Siren Light

Crafting cost
5 high quality metal

Crafting time
30 seconds

Workbench
Level 1

Recycles for
3 high quality metal

Research cost
750 scrap

Optimization / Unity update

We’ve seen a couple more improvements in the realm of server and client performance. There’s also a new version of Unity (2018.3.3) being tested on a separate branch. Looking at the patch notes, it does appear as though this new version of Unity includes some performance improvements. That said, it’s not clear if these are baked in per-say or will require shifts in the Rust code. It’s also not 100% this version of Unity will be active when the update launches next week, as sometimes these Unity updates require a considerable amount of fixes and tweaks before being ready to go in Rust.

One thing is clear: the team at Facepunch is prioritizing performance and we expect to see improvements when the update goes live on February 7th.

To see a summary of what's new in this version of Unity, check out the patch notes here.

Minicoptor work

Progress on the newest vehicle to grace the skies of Rust continued this week. Although still not merged in, this new vehicle appears to be on track for lift off with the February 7th update.

A few things have come to light with regards to this craft in the past week. As expected, it seats two people and will run on Low Grade Fuel. Steering will likely be done via mouse movements (same as how the CH47 is piloted now - if you’ve played around with it). SAM sites will target the Minicoptor and it’ll have similar health to that of the attack helicopter.

HBHF Sensor Art

One of the new electrical items has received some fresh artwork this week. The HBHF Sensor now has a custom model and sound effects.

Oil Rig implementation

The Oil Rig monument is still receiving some finishing touches and tweaks. Although it’s still on a separate branch, it does appear as though it’ll go live when the update hits next week. Stay tuned here for more information once it’s merged into the main branch.

Edit: Work has begun on adding the Oil Rig to Hapis Island also, so there is a good chance it’ll be on that map when the update goes live next week.

Other stuff

• A Chinese New Year branch has been created with some door knocking animations (seasonal event for next week maybe?)

• New palm trees are being worked on (no visuals yet)

• Fullscreen exclusive enabled by default (test)