Facepunch has released Rust’s October update, introducing some of the biggest progression changes in recent memory. This patch brings back the spirit of the old blueprint fragments system, reshuffles loot across nearly all monuments, adds deep crosshair customization, and optimizes game performance — all without a new DLC drop this month.
Blueprint Fragments Are Back — Kind Of
Progression in Rust has been reinvented once again. Tier 2 and Tier 3 workbenches now require players to collect blueprint fragments before they can craft them.
- Basic Blueprint Fragments spawn in green puzzle rooms, alongside red keycards, and can also be found in airdrops or medium to large monuments.
- Advanced Blueprint Fragments are guaranteed in hackable crates, have a 1 in 10 chance in elite crates, and always spawn in pairs.
Players can also convert 20 basic fragments into 1 advanced fragment, giving smaller teams more flexibility. Scrap costs for crafting benches have been significantly reduced, softening the grind — though smaller groups may still find progression tougher as competition over monuments heats up again.
Monument Loot and Puzzle Reshuffle
Monuments have undergone a massive shake-up.
- Sphere Tank, Ferry Terminal, and Rad Town now feature green card puzzles and basic blueprint fragments.
- Nuke Silo has been upgraded into a red keycard monument with advanced fragments and three elite crates.
- Diesel spawns are now locked behind puzzles, and loot at nearly all monuments has been relocated or rebalanced.
A fix was also applied to stop Chinooks from repeatedly dropping crates at the same spot, ensuring more variety in loot events.
New Crosshair Customization
Originally a Hackweek project, full crosshair customization is now live. Players can modify nearly every aspect of their crosshair, including:
- Color, dot size, spacing, line length, and width
- Outline and outline color
- Option to hide or display the crosshair while aiming
Players can even export and share crosshair codes with teammates, making it easy to synchronize visuals across squads.
Medieval Equipment and Quality of Life Buffs
Rust’s medieval gear set received a complete balance pass:
- Shields consume half the stamina to hold and block more damage.
- Catapults reload 3 seconds faster and shoot 30% farther.
- Battering Rams and Ballistas now require fewer materials, and propane bombs deal more damage.
Additional tweaks include bug fixes, improved barricade behavior near monuments, and chainsaws starting more reliably. Cargo ships will also no longer circle oil rigs.
Performance and Optimization Improvements
This update includes several performance optimizations aimed at improving stability:
- The main menu now consumes less VRAM and CPU resources.
- Texture streaming has been optimized, especially for low-VRAM systems.
- Overall memory usage and asset loading have been improved for smoother gameplay.
Modders benefit as well, with client-side modding improvements and more UI framework features merged into the base game. Players can now also rotate signs, paintings, and photo frames before placing them.
Seasonal Additions and Upcoming Naval Update
While no DLC was added this month, limited-time charity plushies are available until October 30, with all proceeds going to charity. Rust is also 50% off until October 6, and a mandatory seasonal update arrives on October 23, bringing new wallpapers and event content.
The Naval Update, expected next month, is already in development and will introduce mountable gun turrets for boats — hinting at large-scale water combat on the horizon.
Rust’s October update reshapes progression and loot distribution in major ways, rewarding active monument play while modernizing classic systems. Whether players embrace the return of blueprint fragments or resist the grind remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the Rust meta is changing once again.
