12:00am EST - We’re at the halfway point for Rust development for the month and the Jungle Update is imminent! Follow @Rustafied for news throughout the week.

Overview

The Jungle Update is now live for testing on the AUX3 branch! While still a work in progress, it’s currently expected to launch with the May update. This post highlights some of the core features coming with this update—but keep in mind, everything is still subject to change as development continues. We’ll have more details as things progress!

Note: AUX3 now needs a beta password - check out this tweet for more information.

Environmental features

The Jungle Update brings a ton of fresh environmental content to Rust. The new dense Jungle biome is packed with lush foliage, unique trees, and thick ground cover, offering a whole new vibe to explore and survive in.

You’ll also find climbable trees with vines, letting you swing between them like jungle zip lines. The Jungle Ruins monument anchors the area with a large concrete ziggurat filled with loot spots and more. To top it off, there are new cave systems woven throughout the biome, adding even more depth (literally) to your jungle adventures.

New Animals

Crocodiles: Fast in water and dangerous on land, these crocs offer new challenges.
Panthers and Tigers: These guys stalk and can drag prey, adding depth to predator interactions.
Snakes: Sudden attacks which can be avoided by jumping, providing resources like fat and snake venom upon defeat.

New weapons

Blowpipe: A new stealth weapon which offers various darts like incapacitation and radiation.
Boomerang: Can be thrown to return to the player or used to strategically hit targets around obstacles.

New Skins

Some fresh cosmetics are on the horizon alongside the Jungle Update! A Jungle Ruins building skin is in the works, giving your stone structures a weathered, primal look that fits right into the new biome.

There’s also a new Outbreak Outfit spotted in development. Both of these are likely to drop as part of a DLC, available on the item store once the update goes live.

Other stuff

There are some miscellaneous other things in the works also. Here is a summary:

Refrigerated meat will have a snow icon now, so you'll it’s working
Work on refreshing industrial lighting
Conveyor performance optimizations
More work on the Cocoknight DLC
More work on floor wallpaper
Optimizations for foliage
Fix for tugboats
More work on profiling and optimizations
More progres on the Naval Update