Rust — Naval Update: What's New and Why It's So Big
Latest news: The developers have postponed the release of the Naval Update from November 6, 2025 as of December 4, 2025. However, most of the content is already available on the Steam Staging branch, and we can explore the update in advance.
Official from Facepunch: What's Available on Staging
⛵ Our biggest update of the year has been merged to Staging. It's huge, but in summary:
- Modular Boats
- Deep Sea Islands
- Floating Cities
- Ghost Ships
- New Scientist AI
- Scientist Patrol Boats
- Much much more
Please F7 report any issues or post in staging bug reports ❤️
You can also read the full analysis here: a detailed article about the Naval update .
Key Features of the Marine Update
The Naval Update is the largest expansion of naval gameplay in Rust's history. Below are the key features available on Staging now.
1. Modular boats
New boats are assembled using the construction kit principle:
- frame
- power module
- deck sections
- combat modules
The boat can be configured for farming, PvP, long-range raids, or deep-sea expeditions.
2. Deep Sea
A new huge area outside the standard map:
- more dangerous than the ordinary ocean
- increased rewards
- rare events
- special entry points
3. Floating cities
Compact POI clusters on water:
- loot routes
- traders
- dynamic events
- PvP zones of increased activity
4. Ghost Ships
New naval event:
- rare loot
- PvE battles against NPCs
- PvP conflicts for rewards
5. New AI scientists and patrol boats
The sea became "alive" thanks to NPC scientists:
- they patrol the routes
- attack aggressive players
- protect deep-sea zones
Feature progress chart on Staging
| Component | What is this | Practical benefits | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modular boats | Water transport designer | Optimization for farming, raids, and PvP | Available |
| Deep Sea | Deep-sea zone | Rare loot and events | Available |
| Floating cities | POI on the water | New routes and activities | Partially |
| Ghost Ships | Events at sea | Rare awards | Test |
| Scientist Patrol Boats | NPC Patrol Boats | Hazards on the routes | Available |
Improving FPS: "indirect instancing"
Facepunch developer Felix is working on a system that shifts some of the rendering load from the CPU to the GPU.
- Goal: Reduce draw calls and improve FPS
- Effect: more stable frame rate in busy areas (bases, cities, coastlines)
- Status: The technology is in development, there are bugs, but progress is noticeable.
The final version is expected to be released alongside or shortly after the Naval Update.
How to test the Naval Update
- Open Steam → Rust → Properties → Betas.
- Select rust_staging .
- Run the Rust Staging client, not regular Rust.
- Log in to the Staging server or create a local session.
Submit bugs via: F7 → Staging Bug Report.
Where to play after Naval's release
We're preparing our servers for the update, optimizing maps, and setting up our infrastructure.
Result
The Naval Update isn't just a patch, it's a new era for Rust: the ocean becomes a full-fledged playable zone with ships, cities, deep biomes, and a dangerous NPC world.
The release date is December 4, 2025 , but you can test the update now on Staging.
Prepare your boats, fortify your waterfront bases, and welcome the new Rust.
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