Rust’s latest development update brings some of the biggest gameplay changes seen in recent months. High external walls are finally receiving upkeep costs, player-built basements are in development, and Facepunch continues expanding its ambitious player-maintained monument system.
Alongside those headline additions, the developers are also improving quality-of-life features, balancing items, polishing the upcoming Games Room DLC, and expanding the underground railway network.
High External Walls Will Require Upkeep
One of the most impactful changes currently being tested is the addition of upkeep costs for high external walls and gates.
Current test values include:
- High External Wooden Wall: 267 Wood upkeep
- High External Wooden Gate: 600 Wood upkeep
- High External Stone Wall: 267 Stone upkeep
- High External Stone Gate: 600 Stone upkeep
The current testing build also calculates upkeep within a 16-meter radius from the oldest building block. Facepunch has made it clear these numbers are still subject to balancing before release.
This change will likely have the biggest impact on larger clans that surround compounds with dozens of external walls.
Player Basements Are Finally Being Tested
One of the most exciting discoveries in the latest commits is support for player-built basements.
While Facepunch has not officially explained how the system works, current development suggests players may receive a special foundation block that creates an entrance beneath a base. Additional basement building pieces would then expand underground.
If implemented as expected, Rust players could soon create hidden storage areas, secret crafting rooms, or entirely new underground base layouts.
Auto Turrets Become More Expensive
Auto turrets are also receiving a balance adjustment.
The crafting cost for auto turrets increases from:
- 10 High Quality Metal
- to 25 High Quality Metal
This significantly raises the investment required to secure large compounds.
Water Well Vendor Gets Major Nerf
Buying resources from Water Well Vendors will become far less efficient.
Most items are being reduced from:
- 10 items in stock
- down to only 2
Restock timers are also increasing from two minutes to ten minutes.
Medical syringes and ammunition remain unchanged, but nearly every other item will be much harder to purchase in bulk.
Snow Jackets Receive a Buff
Cold-weather survival becomes slightly easier.
Snow Jackets are receiving increased:
- Cold protection
- Bite protection
This makes them a more valuable option for surviving Rust’s harsh winter biomes.
Monument Gameplay Continues to Expand
Facepunch continues transforming monuments from simple loot locations into interactive systems that players must actively restore.
Current development includes:
Power Plant
The Power Plant appears to become the central hub for powering other monuments across the island.
Airfield
Visible electrical cables now display power flowing toward fuse boxes.
Water Treatment Plant
Players will need to supply gears before water production machinery becomes operational.
Sphere Tank
Crude oil extraction will require electricity before production begins.
Loot Rooms
Several monuments are beginning to receive power-dependent loot rooms that require restored infrastructure before becoming accessible.
Satellite Crash Event Gets Bigger
The upcoming Satellite Crash event also continues to evolve.
Current testing suggests players must restore power before launching a satellite crash event.
Other improvements include:
- Final descent increased from 8 seconds to 20 seconds
- More dramatic impact effects
- Trees and vegetation cleared by the explosion
- Multiple variants of burning loot crates after impact
The contents of these crates remain unknown.
Underground Railway Expansion
The underground railway system is growing with several new areas currently in development.
Upcoming additions include:
- New rooms
- Transport sections
- Control rooms
- Potential keycard spawn locations
- Collapsed tunnel areas
- A mysterious “Puzzle Zoo” scene
Facepunch has not revealed what the Puzzle Zoo area will contain.
Games Room DLC Nears Completion
The upcoming Games Room DLC continues receiving polish before release.
Recent improvements include:
- Proper wooden bar stool models
- Finished dartboard mechanics
- Improved pool controls
- Multiplayer scoring HUD
- Better cue ball controls
- Correct eight-ball placement
- New pub wallpapers
- Matching pub carpet
- Functional jukebox model
Some players have also pointed out that the tops of the mini fridges still use placeholder textures, which may receive further improvements before launch.
Additional Quality-of-Life Improvements
Several smaller improvements also arrive in this development update:
- Spoiled produce now stacks to 20 instead of 10.
- Sleeping bags can appear individually on the compass.
- Shields can remain visible on your back with a toggle.
- Deployable and wire snapping receive their own keybind.
- Vehicle icons can now be used as chat emojis.
- Siege weapons are now vulnerable to fire.
- Apartment break-ins include proper door unlocking sounds.
- Wolf headdresses can be reskinned into Lunar New Year masks.
- Animal fencing continues development.
- Server consoles gain command history and improved cursor controls.
- Creative Mode receives its own paintbrush icon.
- Additional tools are being added for server owners and modders.
August Update Continues Taking Shape
Although many of these features remain in active development, the August update is shaping up to be one of Rust’s larger content patches.
The introduction of external wall upkeep could significantly change how players design compounds, while underground basements and interactive monuments promise to reshape both base building and map progression in future updates.
