Rust Wipe Schedule Explained (Forced, Weekly & BP Wipes)
"Wiping" is core to Rust, the survival game by Facepunch Studios. A wipe resets the world — and sometimes player progress — so everyone starts fresh. Understanding the wipe schedule is essential whether you are joining servers or running your own, because it drives when players show up and how competitive your server feels. Here is how Rust wipes work.
The forced monthly wipe (first Thursday)
Facepunch ships a mandatory update on the first Thursday of every month, usually around 2 PM UTC. This force wipe changes the map procedural generation, so every server must generate a new map — the old world is gone. It is the busiest day of the Rust month: populations spike as everyone starts over at the same time. If you self-host, your server must be updated to the new build on force-wipe day or players cannot connect.
Map wipe vs blueprint (BP) wipe
There are two things a wipe can reset, and it is important to keep them separate:
- Map wipe — regenerates the world and clears all bases, loot and deployed items. Players keep their learned blueprints. This is the common weekly reset.
- Blueprint (BP) wipe — additionally resets every player's learned blueprints so everyone is back to researching tech from scratch. The monthly force wipe is typically a full map + BP wipe.
Server owners advertise their cycle clearly — for example "weekly map wipe, monthly BP wipe" — because it dramatically changes the experience.
Common wipe cycles
| Cycle | What resets | Feel |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly (force) | Map + blueprints | Long progression, big builds |
| Biweekly | Map, sometimes BP | Balanced pace |
| Weekly | Map, BPs kept | Fast, fresh, popular |
| Custom | Owner's choice | Anything from daily to seasonal |
How to control the wipe schedule on your own server
When you run your own Rust server you set the cadence. A map wipe is done by deleting the server's map and save files (or changing the server.seed / server.worldsize) and restarting, which forces a fresh procedural map. A blueprint wipe additionally clears the stored blueprint data. Many admins automate this with a scheduled task or an Oxide/uMod plugin that wipes on a set day and time and announces it to players. On the monthly force wipe you must also apply Facepunch's update. On Rust on Flux you control your own wipes from the dashboard, and the monthly Facepunch update is handled for you.
Wipe schedule FAQ
How often do Rust servers wipe?
At minimum every month on the first-Thursday force wipe. Many community servers also wipe weekly or biweekly. Owners choose their own cadence between forced wipes.
What is the difference between a map wipe and a BP wipe?
A map wipe clears the world and bases but keeps learned blueprints. A BP wipe also resets blueprints so everyone re-researches from scratch.
Can I set my own wipe schedule?
Yes — on your own server you decide. You can wipe the map and/or blueprints on any cadence, commonly automated with a plugin, as long as you also take the monthly forced update.
Run your own Rust server on Flux and control your wipe cycle from the dashboard — first month free.