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

12:00am EST - With the Halloween event in full swing (Happy Halloween!) and one week till the November update and forced wipe, the team is trucking along on various features for next week and beyond.

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

Daylight savings note

Heads up, daylight saving time kicked in last weekend for the UK, but the US won't make this shift until November 3rd. Due to these changes, some server wipe times might appear off this week since we continue to wipe servers at 3pm local time for each region. Please keep this in mind when planning your wipe starts this week to ensure you’re ready to jump in at the correct time!

Halloween is live

The Halloween event in Rust is officially underway as of Monday, with the festive patch now live. Shortly after launch, many encountered NREs, but I'm pleased to report that these issues were swiftly addressed with a hotfix released just a few hours later. For a deep dive into what the Halloween event has to offer, be sure to check out my post from last week. Remember, the spooky festivities will continue right up until the next update and forced wipe scheduled for next week. Enjoy the haunting fun while it lasts!

Gesture pack

Get ready to express yourself in Rust like never before with a new series of gestures rolling out in next week's update. This upcoming Gesture Pack includes a range of expressive options, such as the 'loser' sign, a disapproving finger wag, shush (vocal and non), knuckle crack, rock paper scissors, finger gun, watching you, and the cut throat gesture. 

Alongside these new additions, there's an update to the radial menu system, now featuring multiple pages and a new options menu that allows you to customize the placement of your gestures on the radial wheel. It's still not clear whether these will be part of a DLC or available to all players (or a mix of both), but rest assured, we'll bring you all the details in our post next week. 

Wolf AI iteration

Exciting updates to wolf AI are on the horizon, set to roll out with next week's update. The enhancements bring a slew of new behaviors that promise to make encounters with wolves more dynamic and challenging. Among the notable changes, wolves will now be able to jump on foundations, operate more cohesively in packs, and exhibit fear reactions to fire sources like torches and campfires. Additionally, wolves will display more complex social behaviors, such as howling to regroup, retreating strategically to call for backup, and then coordinating attacks as a pack. Currently in testing on the staging branch, these improvements are expected to go live alongside the update and forced wipe scheduled for next week. 

Siege weapon previews

Get ready for some medieval warfare in Rust as siege weapons are set to join the arsenal! We've got previews of the Ballista, Catapult, and Battering Ram, all currently in development. These formidable tools of war are built in a unique way: you start by placing a skeletal structure and then hammer away at it until it's fully assembled. Both the Ballista and the Catapult are designed to be towable, making them mobile threats that can be moved around by horses, and potentially even cars. They'll utilize two new types of ammunition: spears for the Ballista and boulders for the Catapult. The Battering Ram, on the other hand, features a driver seat and a fuel tank for powered ramming action. Exciting previews of these models have popped up on X, thanks to Shelby and cipeaX for the sneak peeks. 

Old rock removal

With the launch of the World Update 2.0 in October, Rust introduced a stunning new set of cliff faces, rendering the old cliff designs somewhat obsolete. However, many custom map makers have already included these older elements into their creations. Initially, Facepunch planned to phase out these old rocks and cliffs with the November update, but there's been a change of plans. The removal has now been postponed, with Facepunch announcing that these classic terrain features will remain in the game until the December 5th update. This extension gives map makers and players a bit more time to transition to the new landscapes.

Misc Quality of Life

There are a couple of quality of life changes coming with the update next week. Here is a summary:

• Clicking a mixing table recipe will auto add all the ingredients to the mixing table inventory in the correct amounts/locations

• Repeat clicking a recipe will add another set of ingredients to the mixing table

• Added shopkeeper NPC's to water well A and B, all water wells now have a shopkeeper

• Markers now default to a number as their name (0,1,2,3,etc)

• Various fixes for caves coming in after some issues with the World Update 2.0

• Input and output arrows added to electrical nodes to make it much more apparent which direction is which

• Overhaul to the flashlight visual (softer appearance)

• You have to hold the button 2 seconds for unclaiming a bag

• Skinnable large backpacks incoming

Other stuff

• More work on the Tier 1 SMG

• More work on snakes

• More work on shields

• Added basic tracking of queue wait times and status

• Added all temperature tea recipes (base ones are placeholder ingredients)

• First signs of ice sculptures (likely a Christmas item)