Rust Turns 11: Big Quality-of-Life Update and Festive Celebrations

Rust is celebrating its 11th birthday on December 11, 2024, with a wave of new updates, quality-of-life improvements, and holiday festivities. Over the past year, the game has continued to evolve with significant additions and changes that have kept players engaged and coming back for more. From game-changing mechanics like backpacks and night lights to new monuments and tools, Rust remains one of the most dynamic survival games out there. Here’s everything you need to know about the latest update, birthday celebrations, and the upcoming holiday event.

Rust’s 11th Birthday Celebration

To mark the occasion, Rust is giving players something to celebrate in-game and beyond:

• Birthday Cake and Balloons: Available in-game starting next week for players to enjoy.
• Rust Discount: Players can gift the game to friends at 40% off starting December 9 for 10 days.
• Developer Reflections: Facepunch will release a year-end blog in January to discuss 2024’s highlights, learnings, and plans for 2025.

This past year has seen record player numbers, Twitch events, and monthly updates that introduced major gameplay features like the Harbor Monument Rework, Motorbikes, and Seismic Sensors. Rust continues to innovate, keeping its player base thriving.

Quality-of-Life Improvements

General Gameplay Enhancements

• Peacekeeper Turret Indicator: A turret icon now shows when you're hostile near a peacekeeper auto-turret.
• Workcart Storage: All Workcarts now feature a small storage box for extra loot.
• Fridge Storage Upgrade: Fridges now hold 48 slots, increasing food storage efficiency.
• Homing Missiles: Added to Bradley and attack helicopter loot crates.

Animal Behavior Tweaks: Wolf Packs

• Fire’s Effectiveness Improved: Wolves now avoid lit torches more effectively, reducing follow time.
• Balanced Pack Sizes: Packs merging into overwhelming groups has been fixed, with wolves behaving more believably.
• Improved Stealth Mechanics: Players can now crouch and sneak around wolves more effectively.

Electrical Updates

• Tesla Coil Power Usage Reduced: From 35 to 25 units, with no impact on effectiveness.
• Battery Indicators: Added outputs to show when a battery is fully charged.
• Elevator Speed: Increased by 50%, speeding up gameplay.

Modular Car Radios

Players with the Voice Props Pack can now install radios in modular cars, enabling in-game radio stations while driving. Radios can be crafted for 120 metal fragments and require an operational engine to function.

Gameplay Additions

Helicopter Recycling

Players can now use magnet cranes to shred helicopters at junkyards, receiving Scrap based on the helicopter type and its health:

• Minicopter: 200 Scrap
• Scrap Transport Helicopter: 300 Scrap
• Attack Helicopter: 500 Scrap

Upgradeable High External Walls

Wooden high external walls and gates can now be upgraded to stone using the hammer context menu, offering easier resource management and crafting flexibility.

Vending Machine Statistics

A new statistics panel tracks vending machine performance, showing:

• Total Sales
• Unique Customers
• Most Sold Items
• Highest Revenue Items

Server owners have new commands to manage vending data, ensuring better oversight of trade dynamics.

Variable Zoom Scope

The 16x scope has been upgraded to a Variable Zoom Scope, supporting 4x, 8x, and 16x zoom levels. This makes it a versatile option for both close and long-range engagements.

Holiday Event: Christmas Festivities

Rust’s annual Christmas event kicks off on December 16, 2024, with new festive updates:

• Static Decorations: Including holiday-themed prefabs and lights.
• Mandatory Update: A mandatory update at 19:00 UTC on December 16 will activate the event, ensuring everyone can participate.

Twitch Rivals: Team Battle V

From December 9–13, 2024, Twitch Rivals Team Battle V will feature up to 150 Twitch creators competing for a $100,000 prize pool. Hosted by Facepunch and Rustoria, the event promises epic PvP action with daily matches at:

• 19:00 GMT / 14:00 EST.

Viewers can earn exclusive Twitch Drops by watching participants, with additional generic Twitch-themed drops available for all viewers.

Developer Updates

Improved Queue System

The updated queue system now integrates with Steam Rich Presence, showing players their status while waiting for servers. This opens the door for more client-side features in future updates.

RCON Security Enhancements

Rust server owners now have:

• Improved password requirements.
• Automatic bans after five failed password attempts.
• New commands for managing IP bans and failed login logs.

Native ARM64 Support

Rust now natively supports Apple Silicon hardware, enhancing performance for Mac players. The team plans to expand ARM64 support to Windows laptops in the future.

Looking Ahead: 2025 and Beyond

Rust has maintained its reputation as a leading survival game for over a decade. With constant updates, innovative features, and community-driven events like Twitch Rivals, Facepunch shows no signs of slowing down. As the game celebrates its 11th anniversary, players can expect even more exciting developments in 2025.

Whether you're a seasoned veteran or a newcomer, now is the perfect time to jump into the action. Rust’s birthday celebrations, holiday events, and quality-of-life improvements ensure there’s something for everyone in the harsh yet thrilling world of survival.