Rust will feature a major naval update with the upcoming force wipe

The Rust naval update has been on the horizon for a while now, and initially, it was believed that it would be released with the November force wipe for PC. However, the latest news from our source @Protox0, indicates that the developers have seemingly postponed the entire project indefinitely. We believe this was done in order to fine-tune the mechanics that will be introduced with the Naval update.

Players are undoubtedly a little disappointed that the naval update for the title has been delayed. However, in our opinion, it is better to have a delay in launch than have the entire project infested with bugs or be unoptimized.

That said, here's a detailed brief on everything we know about the upcoming Rust naval update. To know more, read below.

Note: The contents of this article are based on information showcased on the game's staging branch, and are not reflective of the final product that will be released into the title's live build. Reader's discretion is advised.

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Everything we know about the Rust naval update

New RHIB

First and foremost, the RHIB, or the Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat, one of the main modes of transportation in the game, is seeing an overhaul. The boat has undergone a significant design change and features a much better and more useful HUD to help navigate the high seas. We are also seeing the introduction of lights on the boat to help sailors navigate at night.

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Ghost Ships and Islands

With the debut of the naval update, players can expect the addition of Ghost Ships and new islands in the game. Ghost Ships will essentially serve as AI-protected monuments, and players can expect scientists to roam and protect them.

As per @Protox0's showcase, we can expect the addition of locked crates in these Ghost Ships. Naturally, they will be heavily protected by scientists all around the ship. New information that has come to light indicates that once players get the hackable crate running, they can expect a lot more of these scientists to show up on the ship and defend the crate.

Players will have to defeat these AI enemies to finally secure the crate, and then wait out a 15-minute timer, and fend off any oncoming PvP counters in order to secure the high-tier loot within this monument.

Ghost ship showcase (Image via Facepunch Studios and youtube.com/@Protoxic)

Furthermore, popular content creator @protox0 has also provided footage of the different islands that will be introduced with the naval overhaul. These islands do not seem to be habitable. We speculate that there might be a small puzzle or a treasure hunt in these locations.

In case you missed it: Blueprint Fragments in Rust: How to use, and where to find

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Floating cities

Similar to the Outpost and the Bandit Camp, we are going to see the introduction of a neutral safezone in the high seas. Scattered around the ocean, players can locate these protected floating cities and head there to purchase goods, trade, and even recycle the different components they might have secured while looting monuments in-game.

Floating city showcase (Image via Facepunch Studios and youtube.com/@Protoxic)

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Modular boats

With the debut of the naval update, players will also be able to build their very own boats in the game. We have seen the introduction of a brand-new building-block hub in the staging branch to help make this process easier. If this is added to the live build, it would be quite interesting to see players express their creativity and build out uniquely designed boats in the game.

Making boats in Rust (Image via Facepunch Studios and youtube.com/@Protoxic)

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That's everything that you need to know about the Rust naval update. For more related news and guides, check out:

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