Rust Server Wipes Explained: Forced, Map and Blueprint Wipes
Rust servers wipe because Facepunch forces them to. The game updates on the first Thursday of each month, the update changes the network protocol, and your old map save can no longer load, so every server gets a fresh map at least monthly. Whether blueprints are wiped too is your decision, and how often you wipe beyond the monthly minimum is up to you.
Below: what the forced wipe actually does, the files behind a map, blueprint and full wipe, how to change seed and world size, and how to schedule and announce wipes. Details were checked against the Facepunch Rust wiki in November 2026.
- Forced wipe: the first Thursday of each month at 19:00 London time by default. The monthly update makes old map saves unloadable.
- Map wipe = delete the map (
.map) and save (.sav) files. Blueprint wipe = also deleteplayer.blueprints. - Change
server.seedandserver.worldsizeinserver.cfgbefore restarting to get a different map. - Stop the server and back up the identity folder before deleting anything.
- Wipe frequency is announced through a server tag (weekly, biweekly or monthly), not a convar.
On this page
What the forced wipe does
Facepunch ships a major update on the first Thursday of the month. Each update bumps the network protocol, and the number at the end of Rust's save and database file names is that protocol version. After the update the server creates new files rather than reusing the old ones, so the previous map save is left behind and a new map generates. Bases and loot are gone.
Facepunch's wiki says forced wipes normally affect only the .sav map file. Blueprints survive unless you delete the blueprint file yourself. Do not rename an old .sav to dodge the wipe; the wiki calls that dangerous and ill-advised.
Map wipe vs blueprint wipe vs full wipe
| Wipe type | What players lose | Files in your server identity folder |
|---|---|---|
| Map wipe | Bases, loot, world state | proceduralmap.*.map and proceduralmap.*.sav (including numbered backup saves) |
| Blueprint wipe | Researched blueprints | player.blueprints.*.db |
| Full wipe | Everything above plus other player data | Map and save files, blueprint files and the remaining player .db files |
The files live in server/<identity>/, where the identity is the server.identity you set at startup. File names contain version numbers that change between Rust builds, so match the pattern instead of a literal name. Rotating save backups carry a numeric suffix alongside the current save, and a thorough map wipe removes those too.
Most servers wipe the map monthly and blueprints either every wipe or every few wipes. Weekly and biweekly map wipes are common on community servers. Rust has no setting that decides this for you, so pick a cadence and stick to it.
How to wipe your server step by step
- Announce it and stop the server
Warn players first, then stop the server so nothing writes to the save while you work.
- Back up the identity folder
Download a copy of
server/<identity>/or use your host's backup. There is no undo after deleting. - Delete the map files
Remove
proceduralmap.*.mapandproceduralmap.*.sav. For a blueprint wipe, also removeplayer.blueprints.*.db. - Clear plugin data if needed
If you run Oxide or Carbon, plugins keep their own files in
oxide/dataorcarbon/data. Clear or reset whatever should not carry across a wipe, such as claims or timers. Many plugins document this on their pages. - Set the new seed and world size
Edit
server.cfg(see below), then start the server. It generates a new map on boot, which can take a few minutes.
Hosting with ChicagoServers? The Rust server hosting page lists what is included, such as a one-click Oxide/uMod and Carbon installer, free server backups and SFTP file access.
Changing the seed and world size
A map wipe on its own regenerates a map from whatever seed and size the server is configured with. To get something different, change them in server.cfg before you restart:
server.seed 123456
server.worldsize 3500server.seedaccepts values from 0 to 2147483647 according to the Facepunch wiki.server.worldsizeis suggested between 1000 and 6000. Larger maps need more disk space and RAM.server.cfgoverrides values passed on the command line, and the server never edits it for you, so make the change in the file.
Preview a seed on a map-viewer site before committing to it; the same seed and size always produce the same map for a given Rust build. Rust's map generation changes in some updates, so an old favourite seed can look different after a major patch.
Scheduling and announcing wipes
Facepunch's wiki defines wipe frequency through your server browser tags: monthly, biweekly or weekly. You set tags with the server.tags convar as a comma-separated list, for example:
server.tags weekly,vanillaSeparately, Rust has a wipe timer convar group that controls the in-game countdown on the Nuclear Missile Silo monument and when the endgame events start. These do not delete anything. They only keep the in-game timer honest. The Facepunch wiki lists them as:
| Convar | Purpose |
|---|---|
wipetimer.wipeDayofWeek | Day of the wipe, 0 to 6 with 0 as Sunday. Default is 4 (Thursday). |
wipetimer.wipeHourofDay | Hour in 24-hour time, decimals allowed. Default is 19. |
wipetimer.wipeTimezone | IANA time zone, default Europe/London. |
eventschedulewipeoffset.event_hours_before_wipe | How many hours before the wipe the endgame events begin. 0 disables them. |
Run PrintWipe in the console to see the frequency, time zone, time until the next wipe and the next ten scheduled dates. The wiki also documents unix timestamp and cron overrides, but notes the cron convar name is spelled inconsistently, so test your server's behaviour if it does not take effect.
For announcements, put the wipe schedule in server.description and your Discord, keep the schedule tag accurate, and post a reminder a day ahead. Players plan their week around wipes.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Rust forced wipe?
The first Thursday of each month. Facepunch's wipe timer defaults to 19:00 London time. Check the monthly update announcement if exact timing matters.
Do blueprints wipe on forced wipe?
Facepunch's wiki says forced wipes normally affect only the map save. Blueprints are kept unless you delete the player.blueprints file yourself.
How do I change the map on my Rust server?
Stop the server, delete the .map and .sav files, set a new server.seed and server.worldsize in server.cfg, and start it again.
Can I wipe more often than monthly?
Yes. Many servers wipe weekly or biweekly. Do the same file deletions and keep the weekly, biweekly or monthly tag accurate.