Wipes are a regular part of Rust. Every first Thursday of the month, the mandatory "force wipe" takes place, but many servers wipe more frequently. Proper preparation ensures a smooth transition.
Types of wipes
- Map wipe: the world is reset. All buildings, vehicles and loot disappear. Players keep their blueprints.
- Blueprint wipe (BP wipe): all learned blueprints are reset. Players start over learning recipes.
- Full wipe: both the map and blueprints are reset.
Step 1: Create a backup
Make a backup before wiping, in case you need to retrieve something:
- Download your current map files (
*.mapand*.savfiles) via SFTP or the file manager. - Keep a copy of your
oxideorcarbonfolder with plugin configurations. - Save the
server.cfgfile separately.
Step 2: Update Oxide/uMod plugins
- Check umod.org for available updates for your plugins.
- Download the latest versions and upload them to
oxide/plugins. - Watch for changelogs that mention breaking changes requiring configuration adjustments.
- Some plugins have wipe-specific settings you can configure in advance.
Step 3: Perform the map wipe
- Stop the server via the game panel.
- Delete the
.mapand.savfiles in the root directory of your server (but not your configuration files). - Want a BP wipe too? Also delete the
player.blueprints.*.dbfile. - Optionally: change the
server.seedinserver.cfgfor a new map layout. - Restart the server. A new map is generated automatically.
Step 4: Inform players
- Announce the wipe at least 24 hours in advance on your Discord server or website.
- Specify the wipe type (map, BP or full) and the exact date and time.
- Communicate any new rules, plugins or map settings.
After the wipe
- Verify all plugins load correctly.
- Test the new map by logging in yourself.
- Monitor server performance in the first hours after the wipe, as that is when the server is busiest.
Tip: at HostValues you can rent a Rust server with easy wipe management via the panel.