THE SHORT ANSWER
Rust's Community Update 268 confirms the Naval Update arrives with the February wipe and opens the staging branch for player testing. Twitch Drops run February 5-15 with 14 total items. Rustmas contest winners are Kayli_j (first) and MAK (second). The Art of Rust community celebrated the game's 12th birthday with a custom server tour.
- Naval Update staging branch live now; feedback via in-game F7 reporting
- February wipe brings Naval Update; Twitch Drops February 5-15 (Homebrew 4)
- Rustmas base decoration winners: Kayli_j (mountain village) and MAK (snow globe dome)
- Art of Rust community hosted 12th birthday tour with concerts and fireworks
- Remote C4 teased in brief clip; Beastmode father-son duo highlighted
Naval Update hits staging ahead of February wipe
Facepunch has opened the Naval Update staging branch to all players on Steam. The update ships with the February monthly wipe, and the studio is asking anyone with time to test the build and submit feedback through the in-game F7 reporting tool. Access is straightforward: right-click Rust in your Steam library, select Properties, go to the Betas tab, and choose "staging" from the dropdown. The branch has been available since the update posted on January 22.
Twitch Drops return February 5-15
The next Twitch Drops campaign, branded Homebrew 4, runs from February 5 through February 15. Fourteen items are slated: ten exclusives from the Twitch roster and four general drops from YouTube creators. Facepunch says the full list will be published on its social channels closer to the start date. This follows the pattern of previous Homebrew events, which have mixed cosmetic skins and utility items.
Rustmas base decoration winners announced
Two builders took top honors in the holiday contest. First place went to Kayli_j for a village spanning an entire mountain range; a full video tour is on her YouTube channel. Second place went to MAK for a snow globe dome build, with a tour posted on X. Both winners receive cosmetic skin bundles.
Art of Rust marks 12th birthday with community tour
The Art of Rust community ran a custom server where participants decorate individual plots. For the game's 12th anniversary they organized a guided tour featuring concerts, fireworks, and a photo-heavy showcase. Community manager Errn attended and clipped the opening concert, crediting Oriwell for the footage. The event was described as "absolutely magical" in person, though still images only capture a fraction of it.
Quick hits
- Content creator Beastmode launched a second channel dedicated to Rust; his debut video features his father, also an experienced player.
- A short clip labeled "Remote C4" was posted without context, hinting at a new explosive variant or mechanic.
- Errn reiterated the open call for community submissions via X (@ErrnieGerrn) or Reddit (u/ErrnieGerrn).