12:00am EST - The next update is taking shape, with a good mix of new content and backend work rolling in. From long-requested building upgrades to new power options and seasonal content, it’s shaping up to be a solid one.

Armored Ladder Hatch

A long-requested upgrade is finally on the way. The armored ladder hatch is being added as a new, stronger variant of the standard hatch, giving players a much more durable option for securing vertical access points in their bases. Both square and triangle versions are in the works, and they’re being treated as proper top-tier building pieces.

This one has seen a ton of iteration already, with multiple passes on colliders, placement, visuals, and animations to get everything lined up correctly. Door controller support is being built in, materials and durability are being dialed up, and edge cases like gaps, mounting, and interactions are being ironed out. It’s still being polished, but this is shaping up to be a big upgrade for base defense and a long overdue addition to the building meta.

Water Wheel Power Generation

The upcoming water wheel deployable is shaping up to generate power using rivers, giving players another option outside of the usual solar and wind setups. Based on the work so far, placement and flow matter — it needs to be in moving water to function, and won’t generate power in oceans or still lakes.

There’s been a lot of iteration behind the scenes to get this feeling right. Deployment has been improved for riverbanks, rotation and water flow detection have been refined, and a variety of edge cases like mounting, collisions, and animation issues have been cleaned up. It’s still clearly being dialed in, but this is looking like a solid new addition for base power setups, especially for players building near rivers.

Chainsaw Gathering Buff

The chainsaw is getting a nice little quality of life boost. It now gathers wood from trees as if you’re always hitting the sweet spot, which means cutting logs should feel a whole lot smoother and less fiddly. Alongside that, the X marker is removed when using the chainsaw, since you won’t need to aim for it anymore.

It’s a small change on paper, but a pretty noticeable one in practice. For anyone doing a lot of early-game farming or just trying to stock up on wood faster, chainsaw runs should feel much more consistent now.

Easter 2026

The Easter event is making its way back with a fresh batch of themed goodies. Players can expect the return of egg hunting, seasonal cosmetics, and a few new additions this time around, including updated bunny costumes, new wallpapers, and the polished Rustige egg. As usual, the event will bring its own leaderboard and event UI, which has been reworked so it can stay in the game and activate automatically when the event goes live.

Behind the scenes, there’s been a solid amount of cleanup and polish to make everything run smoother. From fixing visuals and LOD issues on event items to improving how the event UI behaves across different scenarios, this year’s Easter looks to be a more refined experience overall. It’s a familiar event, but with enough iteration to keep things feeling fresh.

Console UI Overhaul

A major overhaul to the console UI is in the works, bringing a much cleaner and more usable interface for both players and admins. The updated console introduces a revamped command list, improved autocomplete, and a new error display system that replaces the old wall of text with something far more readable. Commands are easier to discover, navigate, and understand, with better filtering and tooltips built in.

This has been a heavy iteration area, with lots of fixes to scrolling, input behavior, layout issues, and overall responsiveness. While the old console is still hanging around for now, it’s clear the new system is aiming to modernize the experience and make interacting with commands significantly smoother moving forward.

Fixes and Improvements

A wide range of fixes and backend improvements are also in the works this week, touching everything from gameplay systems to UI and performance.

Fixed memory cells short circuiting when too many components are connected to a single output
Fixed signage pooling issues causing inconsistencies
Fixed main menu startup errors when running with the menu disabled
Added proper error handling for looting in safe zones
Fixed wire tool invalidating connections when clearing wires mid-placement
Fixed multiple shield issues, including colliders not working and being active while not deployed
Fixed viewmodels disappearing in certain situations
Fixed skybox slider not working in the workshop editor
Improved deploy volumes across various items like fish trophies, tuna lights, and torch holders
Fixed cases where items couldn’t be placed correctly on certain surfaces
Fixed deep sea terrain inaccuracies and water height sampling issues
Fixed tropical island heightmaps and water volume problems
Fixed demo playback issues, including third-person camera bugs and players not moving correctly in recordings
Fixed Easter event elements not behaving properly in demos
Improved item icon compression to eliminate visual artifacts
Fixed skin viewer issues including lighting inconsistencies and resolution scaling
Fixed store-related issues, including fallback handling when item data fails to load
Improved AI/navmesh stability with multiple fixes to pathing, movement, and edge cases
Fixed issues with moving navmeshes and incorrect path calculations
Improved AI performance by optimizing wake/sleep behavior
Continued improvements to terrain rendering, fixing scaling issues, LOD behavior, and server errors
Fixed lighting inconsistencies in the render pipeline and player preview scenes
Rust relay server fixes for packet handling and WebSocket behavior

Other Stuff

Tin Can Alarm v2 - can now hold and throw loaded explosives and similar throwables, with added visuals
M16A2 and Mortar continue development with animation, rigging, and prefab work
First pass of overfishing system, depleting fishing areas if overused and improving deep sea rewards
Ongoing optimization work across networking, AI, terrain, and async systems, with a strong focus on multithreading, reduced allocations, and overall server/client performance improvements
Cargo ship can now destroy player boats, with warning system and toggleable convar
New attachment charm system improvements, including more attachment points and better behavior in first person
Continued PlayerRig updates with widespread animation, IK, and model fixes across gear and seating
New console command descriptions generated (AI-assisted), expanding usability for players and admins
Terrain system refactor allowing more flexible renderer setups and improved height sampling
Loading screen overhaul with better caching, compression, and stability
Colored button system added, allowing UI elements to support multiple color variations
Industrial Auto Turret early prefab setup (initial DLC/content groundwork)
Apartment complex monument continues development with major art, layout, and optimization passes
Steam icon pipeline refactor to move processing to backend instead of editor