THE SHORT ANSWER
The October 1 update adds cows and sheep that produce milk, wool, and dung; a biofuel generator that converts meat to low grade fuel; frogs, rabbits, squirrels, turtles, crabs, and jellyfish as ambient critters; animal fencing; and a Bandit Camp helipad that must be repaired each wipe before air vehicles can be purchased.
- Cows and sheep can be captured, bred for genetics, and sold to a Stable vendor for randomized offers based on gene quality
- Milk refrigerated for four hours can be skimmed into cream, which boosts tea potency while milk extends duration
- Biofuel generator requires manual stirring every 30 minutes and outputs low grade fuel based on input calorific value
- Bandit Camp's Air Wolf helipad starts each wipe damaged and must be repaired with resources and a hammer
- New ambient critters include frogs, rabbits, squirrels, sea turtles, crabs, and jellyfish with dedicated performance budgets
New Livestock: Cows and Sheep
Facepunch has added two domestic animals to Rust's ecosystem. Cows and sheep spawn in the wild and can be captured using methods the developers describe as intuitive. Once contained, they function similarly to the existing plant genetics system: each animal carries genes that affect its output, and players can breed them toward a "god clone." The developers note the gene mechanics differ from plants, so established breeding techniques may not transfer.
Cows produce milk and dung. Sheep produce wool and dung. Both yield meat, bones, and leather when harvested. Performance is managed by processing only a subset of NPCs each frame, with a hard time cap per frame. The new navigation mesh allows NPCs to enter player structures and respect doors, and the navmesh itself has been optimized to at least double its previous performance.
Livestock Economy and Breeding
Grown cattle and sheep can be led to the new Stables at the ranch and sold to an outside vendor. The vendor makes a randomized offer based on the animal's gene quality. Players can reject the offer twice; a third rejection triggers a 15-minute cooldown before the vendor will consider that animal again.
Wool can also be traded in bulk, up to 400 units at once, for up to three offers scaled to the quantity delivered. The developers describe this as high risk, high reward.
Milk, Cream, and Food Changes
Raw milk can be consumed directly, but refrigerating it for four hours unlocks a skimming option. Skimming separates the milk into Skimmed Milk and Cream. Cream is a stronger consumable, and both ingredients factor into new crafting recipes. Milk extends the duration of tea effects, while cream increases their potency. The update also includes additional food recipes not detailed in the announcement.
Biofuel Generator and Fencing
The Biofuel Generator gives a use for raw and spoiled meat. Players load organic matter, stir the generator by hand, and wait roughly 30 minutes before stirring again. Output scales with the calorific value of the input. An IO connection can signal when stirring is needed, allowing remote monitoring. New animal gates and fence deployables provide dedicated containment for livestock.
Critters, Helipad Repair, and Other Changes
Ambient wildlife expands with frogs, rabbits, squirrels, sea turtles, crabs, and jellyfish, each appearing in appropriate biomes. These critters run on strict performance budgets and are currently cosmetic set dressing.
At Bandit Camp, the Air Wolf helipad now begins each wipe in a damaged state. The air vehicle vendor refuses sales until players repair the pad by supplying resources and hammering it, similar to siege weapon construction. Once repaired, it remains functional for the rest of the wipe.
The update also overhauls sandbag barricades and adds new Powergrid Lootrooms, alongside the usual bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements.