Rust Force Wipe Schedule: When It Happens and How to Prepare

 

    Facepunch pushes a big update to Rust on a fixed cadence, and that update forces every server to wipe its map. Understanding this schedule lets you plan your server around it — because wipe day is when player numbers spike. This guide explains what's forced, when, and how to get your gamever server ready.

 

What's forced, and when

 

• Forced map wipe — first Thursday of every month. The monthly update changes the network protocol, so every Rust server must start a fresh map that day. There's no opting out.
• Forced blueprint wipe — occasionally, not monthly. Facepunch only resets blueprints when they bump the blueprint version, which happens with larger updates (every few months), not every month. On those months you get a map and BP wipe.
• Weekly wipes — optional, your choice. Many community servers also wipe mid-month (often weekly, on Thursdays) to keep things fresh. That's an admin decision, not forced — do it yourself with a map wipe.

 

    So: every month = forced map wipe; some months = forced BP wipe too; weekly = up to you.

 

What happens on gamever on force-wipe day

 

1. Facepunch releases the update; clients update through Steam.
2. Restart your server so it pulls the new build (it updates on boot — Enable update checking is on in Server Settings). The new protocol/save version means your old map no longer loads, so the server generates a fresh one.
3. If it's also a BP-wipe month, blueprints reset automatically with the new blueprint version.

 

    In short, on wipe day you mostly just restart — the forced map wipe is automatic once you're on the new build.

 

How to prepare for wipe day

 

• Pick your map in advance. Decide whether to keep a procedural map (new random seed each wipe) or set a fixed Server seed / World size in World Settings for a consistent map.
• Back up the current server first (Backups tab) in case you want to revisit it.
• Line up your plugins. After a Rust update, Oxide/Carbon and some plugins need their own update — have them ready so your modded server is live quickly.
• Announce the time to your community (Discord, server name/description) — wipe day is when players come looking.
• Update your server tags/description if you advertise wipe times, so your server lists correctly.

 

Additional Tips

 

• Forced map wipe = restart onto the new build — there's nothing manual to delete for the monthly wipe.
• Check if it's a BP month — bigger updates bring blueprint wipes; plan your tech-tree messaging accordingly.
• Weekly wipes are optional — run your own map wipe mid-cycle if your community likes faster resets.
• Have plugins updated before you advertise — nothing loses players faster than a broken modded server on wipe day.
• Fixed seed vs. random — a fixed seed means players learn the map; random keeps every wipe a fresh exploration.

 

Conclusion

 

    Rust forces a map wipe on the first Thursday of every month, with an occasional blueprint wipe on bigger updates; anything more frequent is your own call. On gamever, the forced wipe is as simple as restarting onto the new build. Plan your seed, back up, prep your plugins and announce the time — and wipe day becomes your best day for new players.

 

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