What hosting a Rust server involves
Most Rust players never run a server, but every community server on the Rust server list started as someone following the steps below. Hosting gives you control over gather rates, team limits, wipe days and plugins, at the cost of hardware, maintenance and moderation work.
This outline follows Facepunch's own wiki. It covers a self-hosted setup, not a specific hosting company, and it is not a substitute for the wiki when something changes. Terms such as wipe and blueprint wipe are defined in our glossary.
- Free RAM, minimum
- 12 GB
- Free disk space
- 15 GB
- Default game port
- 28015 UDP
larger maps need more
SSD or NVMe strongly preferred
the port players connect to
Hardware and software you need
The server runs on Windows, Linux or macOS. According to the wiki, you do not need a Steam account to run the server, although players need one with the game. Disk speed and RAM matter more than most people expect, and a bigger world uses more of both.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows, Linux or macOS |
| RAM | At least 12 GB free; a 6k map needs more |
| Disk | 15 GB free; SSD or NVMe strongly preferred |
| Install tool | SteamCMD, app ID 258550, anonymous login |
| Steam account | Not required to run the server |
| Network | Static LAN address and port forwarding if you host at home |
Hosting at home works for a small test group, but a public community usually needs a machine that stays online and has a stable connection. Whether you rent one or run your own, the setup steps below are the same, and you should expect the first launch and map generation to take a while.
Install and launch
- 1
Install with SteamCMD
Run SteamCMD with a forced install directory, anonymous login and app_update 258550 validate, then quit. The same command updates the server later. Beta branches are selected with -beta followed by the branch name.
- 2
Start the dedicated server
Launch RustDedicated with -batchmode and your parameters. Startup takes several minutes; wait for the line saying server startup is complete.
- 3
Set the world
Use server.level for the map type, server.seed (0 to 2147483647) and server.worldsize (1000 to 6000). Larger worlds use more disk and RAM.
- 4
Name it and set limits
Set server.hostname, server.description, server.identity and server.maxplayers. Change the RCON password immediately.
- 5
Make yourself an admin
Run users in the console to find your SteamID, then use ownerid or moderatorid with the ID and a name. Reconnect to apply the new level.
Settings can live in server.cfg under the server identity folder. Values there override the command line, and the server itself never edits the file, so you can edit it between restarts without worrying about it being overwritten.
Ports and connecting
Open ports are the most common reason friends cannot join. The wiki lists the roles of each port, and the query port is what makes a server appear in the in-game browser.
| Setting | Default | Protocol | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| server.port | 28015 | UDP | Required for play |
| server.queryport | One above the higher of the game and RCON ports, if unset | UDP | Server browser listing; must differ from the game port |
| rcon.port | 28016 | TCP | Remote console |
| server.ip | 0.0.0.0 | n/a | All interfaces; set a LAN address to restrict access |
To test locally, press F1 in the game and type connect localhost:28015. For remote players, forward the game and query ports on your router to a static LAN address, then share your public IP and port. If the server never appears in the browser, check the query port first.
Choosing a game mode
Rust has built-in gamemodes that change the rules before any plugin does. The wiki says server gamemode selection became available on 4 February 2021, and recommends leaving the setting empty for vanilla rather than naming it.
| Mode | What changes |
|---|---|
| Vanilla (survival) | Default Rust gameplay; leave server.gamemode empty |
| Softcore | Teams capped at 4, 50% of inventory kept on death, PvP damage reduced by 25%, raiders cannot seal or grief a base for 48 hours |
| Hardcore | Higher tech tree costs, no teams or map, safe zones removed; Facepunch's official Hardcore servers closed in November 2023 |
| Primitive | Restricted items focused on the primitive era; called the newest mode |
Wipe timing and rates
Wipes are the heartbeat of a Rust community, because they decide when players start fresh and when a server feels busiest. The wiki's wipe timer page says the default monthly schedule is the first Thursday of the month at 19:00 London time, weekly is every Thursday at 19:00 and biweekly is the first and third Thursday. Those defaults align with Facepunch's forced wipe. Run PrintWipe to see the calculated time and the next ten occurrences.
Rates are a separate decision. Existing networks show the range: Rusty Moose runs vanilla 1x with map and blueprint wipes on the monthly force wipe, Stevious runs 2x with weekly wipes, and Atlas lists a 10x server with boosted kits. Compare the options on our 2x and 3x and 10x and kits pages before settling on yours.
Before you launch
- Test joining from outside your network, not just from the same machine.
- Write the rules page first: team limit, cheating, toxicity and ban appeals.
- Pick one wipe schedule and say it in the server description.
- Keep admin and RCON credentials private and rotate the password if staff leave.
- Repeat your wipe day, rates and team limit in both the server description and the Discord so nobody has to ask.
Keep your store and Discord low-risk for players by following the safety guide. When you are ready, you can list your server for free, and the status page shows how we monitor whether listed servers stay online. Featured placements are explained on the advertise page.
