Wipe day is the biggest event in any Rust server's cycle. Miss it, communicate it poorly, or execute it badly, and you lose players. Automation and clear scheduling eliminate the human error.
Wipe Types
| Wipe Type | What It Resets | Typical Schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Map wipe | World, builds, inventories | Weekly or biweekly |
| Blueprint wipe | Learned recipes | Monthly (forced) |
| Full wipe | Everything | Forced with updates |
Facepunch forces blueprint wipes with monthly updates (first Thursday of every month). You can add additional map-only wipes on your own schedule.
Choosing Your Wipe Schedule
| Schedule | Server Type | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly (Thurs) | High-pop PvP | Always fresh, peak population | Admin burden |
| Biweekly | Medium PvP | Balance of freshness and progression | Mid-cycle population dip |
| Monthly | PvE, casual | Maximum progression | Late-wipe entity issues |
| Force wipe only | Low maintenance | Minimal admin work | Players leave mid-cycle |
Thursday is the traditional Rust wipe day (aligned with Facepunch's forced wipes). Wiping on Thursdays means your server appears "just wiped" on community server lists when the most players are browsing.
Automating with RCON
Use RustAdmin or a similar RCON tool to create a wipe schedule:
Pre-Wipe Warnings
T-60min: say "SERVER WIPE in 1 hour. Enjoy your last moments."
T-30min: say "SERVER WIPE in 30 minutes."
T-15min: say "SERVER WIPE in 15 minutes. Say goodbye to your base."
T-5min: say "SERVER WIPE in 5 minutes."
T-1min: say "SERVER WIPE in 60 seconds. See you on the other side."
Wipe Execution
T-0: server.save
T+10sec: server.stop "Wipe in progress"
Then on your server's file system:
- Delete the
server/[identity]/proceduralmap*files - Delete the
server/[identity]/player.blueprints.*.dbfiles (if BP wipe) - Optionally change the world seed for a new map
- Start the server
Post-Wipe Setup
T+boot: oxide.reload *
T+30sec: server.writecfg
T+1min: say "Welcome to the new wipe! Good luck."
Automated Wipe Scripts
For VPS-hosted servers, create a bash script:
#!/bin/bash
# Rust automated wipe script
SERVER_DIR="/home/rust/server"
IDENTITY="my_server"
# Stop server gracefully via RCON
rcon -a localhost:28016 -p "password" "server.save"
sleep 5
rcon -a localhost:28016 -p "password" "server.stop"
sleep 10
# Delete map files
rm -f "$SERVER_DIR/$IDENTITY/proceduralmap"*
# Optional: Change seed
NEW_SEED=$((RANDOM * RANDOM))
sed -i "s/server.seed .*/server.seed $NEW_SEED/" "$SERVER_DIR/start.sh"
# Restart
cd "$SERVER_DIR" && ./start.sh
Schedule this with cron:
0 19 * * 4 /home/rust/wipe.sh
This runs every Thursday at 7 PM.
Communication
The single most important part of wipe day is communication:
- Post your wipe schedule on Discord, in-game, and on your server listing
- Remind players 24 hours before, 1 hour before, and at the final countdown
- After the wipe, post a "wipe is live" announcement everywhere
Players who miss the wipe because of poor communication won't come back. Players who know the schedule plan their week around it.
Space-Node Rust hosting includes scheduled restart features in the control panel, making wipe automation simpler. Combine it with RCON warnings for a professional wipe experience.
