RustHow to Change Rust Map Size, Seed and Custom Maps (2026)
Change a Rust server's map with server.worldsize (1000 to 6000), server.seed or a custom map via server.levelurl. Sizes to pick and how to preview seeds.
Updated Oct 1, 2026 · 6 min read
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To change a Rust server's map, set server.worldsize (1000 to 6000) and server.seed (any number from 0 to 2147483647) for a procedural map, or set server.levelurl to a direct download link for a custom .map file, then restart. Any of these changes gives you a brand new map, so it is a map wipe: bases and items do not carry over. Blueprints stay unless you wipe them too.
How do Rust map size and seed work?
A procedural Rust map comes from three inputs:
| Setting | Default | Range | What it controls |
|---|---|---|---|
server.level |
Procedural Map |
See below | The map type |
server.worldsize |
4500 | 1000 to 6000 | Width and height of the map in metres |
server.seed |
1337 | 0 to 2147483647 | Where terrain, monuments, roads and rivers go |
Same size plus same seed plus same Rust version gives the same map every time. That is how map preview sites can show you a seed before you use it.
server.level can also be one of the fixed maps: Barren (a procedural map with fewer trees and bushes), HapisIsland, CraggyIsland or SavasIsland. Most servers stay on Procedural Map. The rest of the startup settings are in Rust server.cfg settings explained.
What map size should you pick?
| Players online at peak | World size | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 2500 to 3000 | You run into each other. Big maps feel empty with a small group |
| 10 to 50 | 3000 to 3500 | Room for a few groups without hour long walks |
| 50 to 150 | 3500 to 4500 | The classic community size. Most large servers sit here |
| 150 and up | 4500 to 6000 | Only if you really fill it |
The common mistake is going big "for room". An empty 4500 map with 15 people on it feels dead, and a bigger map means more entities, more RAM and longer generation time. Size for your real peak, not your hoped for one.
Memory scales with map size too. On GamezServers, the 8 GB plan suits small maps around 3000, 12 GB a standard 4000 map, and 16 GB large or custom maps with heavy plugins.
How to change the map size and seed
- Stop the server and take a backup.
- Set the new values:
- Self hosted: change
+server.worldsizeand+server.seedon your start line. - GamezServers: open Settings and change Map size and Map seed.
- Self hosted: change
- Start the server. Generation takes a few minutes the first time. Wait until the console shows the server is up before joining.
Example start line values:
+server.level "Procedural Map" +server.worldsize 3500 +server.seed 84213759
Rust names its save files after the size and seed, for example proceduralmap.3500.84213759.<version>.map and the matching .sav. A new size or seed just creates new files next to the old ones, which is why the old world seems to vanish. Delete the old .map and .sav files while you are there, so they do not eat disk space, and delete player.states.*.db if you want inventories reset too. Our Rust wipe guide lists every file for each type of wipe.
How to preview a seed before you use it
Nobody wants to discover after the wipe that the seed put Launch Site in the sea. Before you commit:
- Use a map preview site. RustMaps is the one most admins use: enter a size and seed and it renders the map with monuments, so you can browse seeds until one fits. Check the generated map matches the current Rust version, since monument changes in an update can move things.
- Generate it yourself. Change the seed on a test server, wait for generation, then fly around with
noclipor look at the in game map.
What to look for: a good spread of tier 1 to 3 monuments, Launch Site and Military Tunnels not packed into one corner, enough land for your player count, and roads or rail joining the main monuments.
How to use a custom Rust map
Custom maps come from map makers who build them in RustEdit and sell or share the .map file. To host one:
- Upload the
.mapfile somewhere that gives a direct download link: a link that starts the download straight away, with no page to click through. Facepunch suggests a public GitHub release works well. Players download the map from this link when they join, so it must stay online for the whole wipe. - Set
server.levelurlto that link.- Self hosted:
+server.levelurl "https://example.com/mymap.map" - GamezServers: paste the link into the Custom Map URL setting.
- Self hosted:
- Remove
server.worldsizeandserver.seedfrom your start line. A custom map has its own size, and Facepunch's docs say not to mix them. - Restart. The server downloads the map and loads it.
Test the link in a private browser window first. If it opens a web page instead of downloading a file, the server cannot use it either. Facepunch's own notes are on the Hosting a custom map wiki page.
Custom maps that use extra prefabs or monument edits may need a plugin like the RustEdit extension the map maker names. Read the map's install notes before wipe day.
Does changing the map need a wipe?
Yes, every time. There is no way to keep bases when the terrain under them changes. What you can keep:
| Kept | Lost |
|---|---|
| Blueprints (unless you delete them) | Every building, deployable and item on the map |
Admins and bans in cfg |
Player inventories and positions (if you delete player.states) |
server.cfg and plugin configs |
The old map itself |
On the monthly force wipe Facepunch's update makes old maps unloadable anyway, so that is the natural moment to change size or seed. Mid month changes are fine too, just announce them with Broadcast or say first.
The easy way
On a GamezServers Rust server the map is two fields and a button: change Map size or Map seed in Settings, or paste a link into Custom Map URL, press Backup, then restart. The fresh map generates while the dashboard shows the server starting.
FAQ
What is the default Rust map size?
The default server.worldsize is 4500 when nothing else is set. Many hosts and start scripts set their own value, so check your launch options or panel settings to see what your server really uses.
What is the biggest Rust map size?
6000 is the maximum for a procedural map, and 1000 is the minimum. Above about 4500 you need a big, busy player base and plenty of RAM for it to make sense.
Can I use a random seed?
Yes. Any whole number from 0 to 2147483647 works. Pick one at random, or preview a few on a map site first and choose the layout you like.
Why did my custom map not load?
The link was not a direct download, the host blocked the download, or server.worldsize and server.seed were still set. Test the URL in a private window and remove the size and seed settings.
Do players need to download a custom map?
Yes, automatically. The game downloads the .map file from your server.levelurl link the first time each player joins, so the link has to stay online.
Skip the setup. Your own Rust server.
Then $19.99/mo. Just trying it? $5.00 for 3 days