Never miss a Rust force wipe
Rust force wipe happens on the first Thursday of every month at 2:00 PM Eastern (11:00 AM Pacific), which is 7:00 PM in the UK. That is the moment Facepunch ships the monthly update, and every server on the game has to wipe its map to run the new version. The countdown at the top of this page always points at the next one and shows it in your own time zone, so you never have to do the maths.
Force wipe day is the busiest day in Rust. Servers fill up, everyone starts with a rock and a torch, and the first few hours decide who ends up with a base worth raiding. Bookmark this page and you will know exactly when to log in.
What is a Rust force wipe?
A force wipe is a server reset that Facepunch makes mandatory. Every month the Rust update changes the game's network protocol, so a server running the old version can no longer talk to players on the new one. To come back online, every official, community and modded server has to update, and that update wipes the map, every base, every box of loot and everything in your inventory.
Server owners can wipe as often as they like in between, which is why you see weekly, biweekly and monthly servers. The force wipe is the one reset nobody can skip. It is also the day new content lands, so you get a fresh map and the newest items, weapons and changes at the same time.
Rust force wipe time in your time zone
In the US the force wipe lands at 2:00 PM Eastern, 1:00 PM Central, 12:00 PM Mountain and 11:00 AM Pacific. Facepunch is a UK studio, so the wipe follows UK clock time (7:00 PM). Because the UK and other countries change their clocks on different dates, the UTC time moves by an hour between summer and winter. Here is when the wipe hits around the world:
| Region | April to October | November to March |
|---|---|---|
| US Eastern (New York) | 2:00 PM | 2:00 PM |
| US Central (Chicago) | 1:00 PM | 1:00 PM |
| US Mountain (Denver) | 12:00 PM | 12:00 PM |
| US Pacific (Los Angeles) | 11:00 AM | 11:00 AM |
| United Kingdom | 7:00 PM BST | 7:00 PM GMT |
| UTC | 18:00 | 19:00 |
| Central Europe (Berlin, Paris) | 8:00 PM | 8:00 PM |
| Eastern Europe (Helsinki, Kyiv) | 9:00 PM | 9:00 PM |
| Moscow | 9:00 PM | 10:00 PM |
| Brazil (São Paulo) | 3:00 PM | 4:00 PM |
| Japan (Tokyo) | 3:00 AM Friday | 4:00 AM Friday |
| Australia (Sydney) | 4:00 AM Friday | 6:00 AM Friday |
Force wipe vs map wipe vs blueprint wipe
Rust players use "wipe" for a few different resets. Knowing the difference tells you how much you will lose on any given day:
- Map wipe: the world, bases, deployables and loot are deleted. Your learned blueprints stay. Servers choose their own map wipe schedule, often weekly or every two weeks.
- Blueprint wipe (BP wipe): everything you have learned is reset too, so you are back to the default crafting list. Most servers BP wipe on force wipe day; a few keep blueprints for longer.
- Force wipe: the monthly reset Facepunch requires. It always includes a map wipe, and on most official and mainstream servers it wipes blueprints too.
Always check your server's description or Discord for its BP wipe rules before force wipe day, so you know whether to plan for a full fresh start.
What happens on force wipe day
At 2:00 PM Eastern (11:00 AM Pacific, 7:00 PM UK) the update goes live on Steam and servers start shutting down to install it. Expect a short wait: most servers are back within an hour or so, but big community servers sometimes take longer while they load a fresh map and plugins. Your client also has to download the update before you can join, so have Steam open early.
Once you are in, the race starts. Everyone spawns on the beach, the best building spots go first, and monuments are packed with players fighting for early components. Read the monthly patch notes on Facepunch's Rust news page before you log in, because new items and balance changes can change what is worth grabbing first.
How to get ready for force wipe
- Pick your server early. Choose a server with a population and wipe schedule that fits your playtime. Our Rust server list is a good place to start.
- Sort your team. Agree on a group size, a meeting point and who builds the first base, so nobody wanders off in the first ten minutes.
- Plan your first hour. Wood, stone and a Tool Cupboard come first. Then get a small base sealed before night falls.
- Know your research path. Decide which Workbench Level 1 items you want first and what they cost on the Rust tech tree.
- Check raid costs. When you are ready to hit a neighbour, the Rust raid calculator shows how much sulfur and boom each wall and door takes.
- Be online at wipe time. The first hour matters most. Use the countdown above and log in as soon as your server is back up.
Best Rust servers for the next force wipe
We keep a short list of Rust servers that wipe on force wipe day and hold a healthy population all month, from vanilla to modded, with US and EU options. Here are two we are featuring this wipe:
Every featured server has active admins, low ping for its region and a wipe schedule that lines up with the monthly force wipe. See the full list with filters on our Rust servers page.
More Rust guides
Rust force wipe FAQ
1. What is a Rust Force Wipe?
A force wipe in Rust is when all servers are forced to reset all data, including player bases, inventory, and map layout. This happens alongside the monthly game update to refresh the game environment and keep gameplay fair and exciting.
2. When is the Next Rust Force Wipe?
Rust force wipe is scheduled for the first Thursday of every month at 2:00 PM Eastern / 11:00 AM Pacific (7:00 PM UK time). Get ready for a fresh start on our top-rated US & EU based servers, with optimal performance and low latency.
3. Where Can I Play the Next Rust Wipe?
We feature servers that are optimized for the best FPS, ensuring a smooth, lag-free experience. Check out our favorite Rust servers before the wipe hits for an edge in gameplay!
4. What Happens to My Progress After the Force Wipe?
All progress on the server is reset after a force wipe, including your bases, items, and loot. On most servers your blueprints are reset too. Your Steam account, skins and achievements are never affected. A wipe gives you a chance to build and explore from scratch with new strategies.
5. Can I Still Play Before a Force Wipe?
Yes! You can continue playing on our servers until the force wipe occurs. Make sure to take advantage of the time left before the wipe happens to maximize your resources and gameplay.
6. Does Rust force wipe ever skip a month or move for holidays?
No. The force wipe lands on the first Thursday every month, even when that is a holiday. The January 2026 force wipe went ahead on New Year's Day.
7. Why is the Rust force wipe at 2 PM Eastern?
Facepunch, the studio behind Rust, is based in the UK and releases the monthly update at 7:00 PM UK time, which is 2:00 PM Eastern and 11:00 AM Pacific. That is why the wipe shifts by an hour in UTC when the UK changes its clocks.
8. How long are servers down during force wipe?
Most servers are back online within about an hour of the update going live. Large or heavily modded servers can take longer while they generate a new map and update their plugins.