How to Wipe a Rust Server: Map, Blueprints and Force Wipe

Wipes are what keep Rust fresh: new map, new bases, everyone back to a rock. To wipe a Rust server, you delete the map save, the blueprint data or both, then start the server again. This guide shows which files do what, how to run a map wipe or a blueprint wipe step by step, and what actually happens on force wipe day.

TL;DR

• Map wipe: delete the map's .sav and .map files in server/rust, plus player.states, then start the server. Blueprints stay.
• Blueprint wipe: delete the player.blueprints files.
• Full wipe: delete the map files and every player. data file.
• Force wipe: the first Thursday of every month, when Facepunch ships the monthly update. Restart after the update and your server comes back on the new version with a fresh map.
• On BruceNode you can wipe by hand from the Files tab, or set it up once on the Startup tab and wipe with a reinstall.

Map wipe vs blueprint wipe vs full wipe

The numbers in those file names (map size, seed and save version) differ from server to server, so match the names you actually see. Running a custom map? Its save is named after your map file instead of proceduralmap.

Most community servers run map wipes weekly or every two weeks and save blueprint wipes for force wipe day or a big monthly reset. Whatever you pick, put the schedule in your server name or description so players know what they're joining.

When is Rust force wipe?

Force wipe lands on the first Thursday of every month, when Facepunch releases the monthly update. It usually goes live around 19:00 UTC (2 PM Eastern) in winter and 18:00 UTC in summer. The next ones are November 5 and December 3, 2026, then January 7, 2027.

The update changes the save format, so every server starts a fresh map. Blueprints only reset when Facepunch announces a blueprint wipe with the update.

On BruceNode, your Rust server checks for game updates every time it starts. When the update is out, restart your server from the Console tab and it comes back on the new version, ready for the rush.

How to wipe a Rust server from the Files tab

This is the quickest way to run a one-off wipe:

1. Open your server in the game panel and click Stop on the Console tab. Wait until it's fully offline, so it can't save the old map over your wipe.
2. Go to Files and open server, then rust.
3. Tick the files for the wipe you want (see the table above) and delete them.
4. Want a different map, not just a fresh copy of the same one? On the Startup tab, type any new number in World Seed. For a random seed every time, use the reinstall method below. You can change World Size there too.
5. Click Start. The server builds the new map on first boot, which takes a few minutes on bigger maps. When the console shows Server startup complete, you're live.

How to set up repeatable wipes with Regen Server

If you wipe on a schedule, set it up once on the Startup tab:

• Files to remove: the files a wipe deletes, separated by spaces, relative to your server folder. On BruceNode it comes pre-filled with a map wipe that also clears player stats and the data of four popular plugins (Kits, NTeleportation homes, ServerRewards and PTTracker). Edit it to fit your server. A plain map wipe is server/rust/proceduralmap.* server/rust/sv.files.* server/rust/player.states.*; add server/rust/player.blueprints.* to wipe blueprints too.
• Regen Server: when this is on, a reinstall deletes everything listed in Files to remove.
• World Seed: leave it at 0 and every reinstall rolls a new random seed, so each wipe gets a new map. Set a number to keep the same layout.

Then, whenever it's wipe time, go to Settings and click Reinstall Server. The reinstall also pulls the latest Rust build, so on force wipe day one click updates and wipes together. Your configs, plugin files and admin list stay where they are; only what is listed in Files to remove goes.

Double check Files to remove before a reinstall: it deletes exactly what you type, so keep it pointed at the save files above. If you'd rather not wipe on the next reinstall, switch Regen Server back off.

Oxide, Carbon and wipes

On BruceNode you can turn on Oxide (uMod) or Carbon from the Modding Framework setting on the Startup tab. The framework installs itself and stays current every time the server starts, which matters on force wipe day, when plugins need the new build.

Plugin data lives in oxide/data or carbon/data. A wipe by hand leaves it alone, and the reinstall method only clears the plugin files listed in Files to remove. Many kit, shop and clan plugins keep their data across wipes on purpose. If you want a clean economy too, check each plugin's page for its wipe setting, or clear its data file during the wipe.

Bottom line

A Rust wipe is a handful of files and a restart: map files for a map wipe, blueprint files for a blueprint wipe, both for a full reset. Set up Files to remove once and every wipe after that is a single reinstall. New to running Rust? Start with our Rust server setup guide. Planning a new community? Rust server hosting on BruceNode comes with Oxide and Carbon built in, and code BRUCE20 takes 20% off your first month.

---

Related posts on BruceNode:

• How to Host a Rust Server in 2026: Setup, Mods, and Wipes
• 5 Things to Look for in a Game Server Host (And How BruceNode Compares)