12:00am EST - It’s been a week since the meta shift update and we’re seeing some fixes and balance changes along with a ton of work on the upcoming Naval Update.

Hotfixes and Balance

The devs have released an optional server and client update addressing several bugs and balance tweaks.

Added a chance for basic blueprint fragments to drop from:

Military crates
Large underwater crates
Junkpile scientists
Roadside metal detecting

Fixed building guide graphical artifacting
Fixed radtowns only spawning military crates
Fixed shields blocking projectiles when not equipped
Drone camera view angle increased from 60° to 80°
Fixed invalid shots occurring when firing inside vents
Fixed drone drop cooldown not working correctly
Improved crosshair code import functionality
Fixed drones being able to drop grenades faster than players
Various miscellaneous error fixes

Naval Update – Coming November

Set to launch with the November update, the long-awaited Naval Update is shaping up to be one of Rust’s biggest and most ambitious patches to date. It’ll bring new ways to explore, build, and fight across the open seas, transforming the ocean into a true second frontier. Here’s what to expect when it arrives.

None of this is set in stone! Everything below is based on what we’re seeing in commits so far. It is not available for testing yet, and as always, everything is subject to change before release.

Cannons & Naval Combat
Naval combat is taking center stage with the introduction of player-mounted cannons. These can be crafted and installed on boats, complete with unique models, effects, and physics. Placement and handling will matter, as you’ll need to balance firepower with control.

At sea, you’ll face upgraded naval AI like PT boats and RHIBs equipped with 50-cal turrets, smarter steering, and more tactical behavior. Expect them to flank, ram, and reposition mid-fight, creating unpredictable and cinematic sea battles.

Deep Sea Biome & Floating Cities
The Naval Update will expand Rust’s map with a massive new deep-sea biome located beyond the island’s edge. Players will reach it through portals positioned around the map border, which will loop — sail off one side, and you’ll re-enter from the opposite.

This deep-sea region will host floating cities, ghost ships, and tropical islands, each with their own hazards, loot, and rewards. Radiation zones and stronger waves will mark the outer limits, signaling that you’ve ventured far from shore. Expect atmospheric fog, stormy weather, and tropical terrain dotted with cliffs, beaches, and palm trees. Floating cities will feature detailed interiors, casinos, bars, ziplines, and rope ladders, making them major new points of interest.

AI Boat Encounters
AI-controlled naval patrols are also getting an overhaul. Groups of RHIBs and PT boats will now roam the deep sea, working in formations and coordinating attacks on players. They’ll share targeting data, maintain spacing, and adjust positioning to avoid collisions or redundant targeting.

Boats can now use full 360-degree avoidance, improved obstacle detection, and formation logic to switch between chase, attack, and idle states. The result should be far more dynamic and engaging sea battles against AI fleets.

Primitive & Mission Updates
Primitive Mode is being expanded to fit alongside the new naval systems. Expect improved scientist combat, better corpse looting, and updated mission logic — especially for boat-related objectives. The boat scientist mission line will now progress correctly and display rewards properly.

New Monuments & Environment Design
Floating cities, farm barges, and small tropical islands are being introduced as new monuments scattered across the ocean. These locations are seeing major visual upgrades, including lighting improvements, new props, and smoother performance through optimized LODs.

Floating cities in particular will feature interactive elements like elevators, ziplines, chairs, and detailed interiors, while smaller islands will provide unique loot spots and scenic rest stops between voyages.

Player-Built Boats
A new modular boat system is on the way, letting players build their own vessels using dedicated Boat Building Stations. These stations will allow construction of fully modular boats with hulls, sails, engines, anchors, ladders, and even cannons. Components like planks, sails, and steering wheels will only be placeable on proper hulls, keeping the system entirely naval-focused.

You’ll be able to raise and lower sails, anchors, and flags with timed animations, and clear your entire build area using a new “Clear Building Area” option. Boats will feature buoyancy and anti-beaching mechanics, and when destroyed, they’ll sink instead of disappearing. Anchors, sails, and engines can also be picked up in edit mode, giving full control over customization before heading out to sea.

Polish, Performance & Visuals
Alongside all the new content, the update brings a host of visual and performance improvements to water gameplay. Expect refined ocean shaders, realistic wave behavior, dynamic lighting, and deep-sea weather effects like storms and thunder.

Server performance is also being optimized to handle the new systems, with better load balancing for ocean entities and smoother transitions between the island and the deep-sea biomes.

In Summary
Launching in November, the Naval Update will overhaul Rust’s oceans with modular player-built boats, naval combat, AI patrols, floating cities, and a vast deep-sea biome. Whether you’re building your own ship, raiding ocean monuments, or exploring tropical islands, Rust’s next chapter is all about taking to the seas.

Improved Color Picker

A brand-new color picker has hit the staging branch, bringing huge quality-of-life upgrades for Rust’s creative crowd. You can now save up to 10 favorite colors, use full HTML hex codes for precision, and even import your own custom colors — making painting, sign art, and base decoration smoother than ever.

Other Stuff

There was a fake commit floating around this week talking about a ‘bladder and bowels needs system’ - from all looks of it, this was a joke and not actually coming in
Medical Syringe is getting an updated model / textures
Rust 12th Birthday Cake - Updated model asset, added textures and created subsurface profiles. Icon display updated
New branch for RPG skins
Improve analytics to track menu load times
More improvements being worked on for workshop scene
Optimizations to the UI system