How to Update a Rust Server on Force Wipe Day (2026)

To update a Rust server on force wipe day, wait for Facepunch's release (first Thursday of the month, around 2 PM US Eastern), stop the server, back up server/<identity>/ and oxide/ or carbon/, run SteamCMD with app 258550, then install the Oxide or Carbon build made for that Rust version. Delete the .map, .sav and player.states files for the map wipe, plus player.blueprints for a blueprint wipe, and start. Keep cfg/ so admins and settings survive.

What you can change on an existing world vs what needs a new world

When is the next force wipe?

The October 2026 force wipe was Thursday 1 October with the Livestock update. The next ones are planned for Thursday 5 November and Thursday 3 December 2026. Facepunch did not announce a forced blueprint wipe with Livestock. Our Rust force wipe schedule lists every date with times in each zone.

What goes where

Save names carry the version, size and seed, for example proceduralmap.4000.1234.270.sav. The number before .sav is the save version, which is part of why old saves do not load after an update.

Step 1: Back up first

Before the update lands, copy server/<identity>/cfg/ and your plugin folders (plugins, config and data). Back up the old map too if you want screenshots or stats from it.

Step 2: Wait for the release, then update Rust

Watch Facepunch's news page or Steam. Once the update is live, stop the server and run:

steamcmd +force_install_dir /path/to/rust-server +login anonymous +app_update 258550 validate +quit

Step 3: Update Oxide or Carbon

Download the Oxide or Carbon release built for the new Rust version and extract it into the server folder. Do this after the Rust update, every time. Rust's update replaces the files the framework patched, so plugins stop loading until the framework is installed again.

Step 4: Wipe the files

With the server stopped, delete the map, save and player.states files, and the player.blueprints files for a blueprint wipe. Delete both the .db and -wal file of each pair. Change server.seed or server.worldsize now if you want a new layout. The full file list is in how to wipe a Rust server.

Step 5: Start and check plugins

Start the server and let the map generate, which takes a few minutes. Watch the console for plugins that fail to compile. Plugin authors often push fixes within hours of the update, so update the broken ones from their pages.

Step 6: Open the doors

Join, check spawn and your admin rights, then announce the wipe in Discord with the exact opening time.

The gotcha: updating before your framework has caught up

Oxide and Carbon usually release their build for the new Rust version a few hours after Facepunch. If you install the framework before that, the build you get is for the old Rust version. Oxide's download includes patched copies of Rust's own game files, so extracting an old Oxide over freshly updated Rust can put old files back. The server then reports the old network protocol, and players are refused with:

Wrong Connection Protocol: Server update required!

even though you just ran the update. Carbon works differently, but an old build still may not load your plugins on the new version. The fix is the same for both: wait for the framework release that names the new Rust version, run the Rust update again, then install that framework build. Players seeing "Client update required!" instead simply need to update Rust in Steam.

Common problems

• "Wrong Connection Protocol: Server update required!": the server is still on the old Rust version, or an old Oxide build overwrote updated files. Update Rust, then the matching framework.
• Plugins not loading, no oxide commands: Rust's update replaced the framework's patches. Install the new Oxide or Carbon.
• Plugin compile errors: the plugin uses something the update changed. Update the plugin or unload it for now.
• Players kept their old inventories: the player.states files were not deleted.
• Same map as last month: the seed and size did not change, so Rust generated the same layout. Change server.seed for a new one.
• Not in the server list for a while: new servers can take some time to appear. See Rust server not showing in the browser.

Force wipe day on GamezServers

A Rust server from GamezServers updates Rust and your chosen framework, Oxide or Carbon, on every restart, so the update itself is one Restart. Do your wipe in the Files tab under server/rust/ after pressing Backup. If plugins do not load right after the update, the framework release has not caught up yet: restart again once it is out and the server pulls the new build. Map size, seed and custom map URL are panel settings in Settings, because we write them into server.cfg on start.

FAQ

Do I have to update my Rust server on force wipe day?

Yes. Players' games update automatically, and they cannot join a server on the old protocol.

Does force wipe delete blueprints?

Only when Facepunch announces a blueprint wipe in the patch notes, or when you delete the player.blueprints files yourself.

Why do my plugins stop working after a Rust update?

The Rust update replaces the files Oxide or Carbon patched. Install the framework build made for the new Rust version.

What time do Oxide and Carbon update on wipe day?

Usually within a few hours of Facepunch's release around 2 PM US Eastern, but there is no fixed time.