Wipes
Wipes are a normal part of Rust: the map is reset so everyone starts fresh. The Wipes page lets you wipe the map (and optionally blueprints) right now or schedule it, and it is also where you set the server name, description, map size and seed.
Map wipe and blueprint wipe
- A map wipe gives you a fresh map. Buildings and items are gone, but players keep the blueprints they have learned.
- A blueprint wipe also resets what players have learned. In the form this is the Wipe blueprints checkbox.
Facepunch releases a Rust update every month on the first Thursday, and that update forces a wipe on all servers. Plan your wipe and announce it to your players around that day. Check Facepunch's announcements for the details of each update.
The wipe form
At the top of Wipe configuration you can press Load current settings to fill the form with what the server uses right now. Then choose the mode with the two buttons: Run now or Schedule (see below). The fields are:
| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| Server name | The name shown in the server list. Leave it empty to keep the current name. Supports %DAY%, %MONTH% and %TIME%. |
| Description | The server description. Leave it empty to keep the current one. |
| Map size | Size of the map, between 1000 and 6000. Bigger maps need more memory and take longer to generate. |
| Map seed | Number the map is generated from. The same seed and size give the same map. Leave it empty for a random map. The page shows the Last wipe seed. |
| Custom map | Use one of your own maps instead of a generated one. Maps you upload on Custom maps can be picked here. |
| Additional files to delete | Press Browse files to pick extra files that should be deleted during the wipe, for example plugin data files you want to reset. |
| Wipe blueprints | Players lose what they have learned. Leave it unticked for a map-only wipe. |
| Create a backup first | Makes a restore point before wiping. Recommended. |
| Start the server after the wipe | If unticked, the server stops and the wipe runs on its next start. |
Name tokens
Put %DAY%, %MONTH% and %TIME% in the server name and they are replaced with the date and time of the wipe. For example My Server | Wiped %DAY%/%MONTH% tells players when the current map started, without you editing the name every time.
Run now
- Fill in the form. Leave fields empty to keep their current values.
- Decide on Wipe blueprints, Create a backup first and Start the server after the wipe.
- Press Wipe now.
Players are disconnected while the wipe happens, and a new map takes a few minutes to generate, so expect the server to be unavailable for a while. Watch the progress on Console until you see Server startup complete.
A wipe deletes data, and the extra files you select are deleted too. Keep Create a backup first ticked unless you are sure.
Schedule
Choose Schedule instead of Run now to set the wipe for later. Fill in the form the same way. The wipe runs at the time you choose, using the timezone selected on the page, and it appears in the Scheduled wipes list on the right. Until then the list says "Nothing scheduled".
Timezone
The Timezone box on the right has a Default timezone selector (Europe, America, Asia, Australia, Pacific and UTC are available). It is used for %DAY%, %MONTH% and %TIME% in the server name and for scheduled wipes. Set it to your players' timezone, and check it first if a wipe seems to run at an unexpected hour.
Pre-wipe backups
When you tick Create a backup first, the wipe creates a backup named like Pre-wipe 2026-10-13 00:08 UTC. They are listed under Pre-wipe backups, with their size and date. Each one has two buttons:
- Restore brings the server back to how it was before that wipe. Use it if the wipe was a mistake.
- Delete removes the backup.
The same backups also appear on the Backups page, where they count toward your backup limit. Delete the ones you no longer need to free up space for new ones.
Tips
- Announce wipes to players ahead of time, in your Discord or server description.
- Keep a regular day and time. Players plan around it.
- After a wipe, check the console for Server startup complete and join the server yourself to confirm everything works.
- If you use plugins that store progress (economy, stats), add their data files to Additional files to delete, or reset them separately. See Plugins.
Related: Custom maps, Backups, Schedules.