Rust "Friends with Benefits" Update: Essential Changes for Server Owners
July 3, 2025 Update Impact Analysis
The latest Rust update, "Friends with Benefits," brings significant changes that every server owner should understand. While this update focuses heavily on quality-of-life improvements for players, several features will directly impact how you manage and optimize your Rust server. Here's what matters most for Rust server hosting and administration.
Performance Improvements That Affect Your Rust Server
Turret Optimization Reduces Server Load
The update includes "turret optimizations have been made to their aiming calculations, boosting server performance" - a welcome change for server owners dealing with high entity counts. This optimization should reduce CPU overhead on servers with a heavy count of active turrets.
Network Thread Changes
“Network threading parameters are now admin only”, providing better security and preventing unauthorized modifications to server networking configurations.
New Party System: Server Administration Considerations
Team Management Changes
The new party system allows players to form teams before joining Rust servers, with party members spawning within 100 meters of each other and automatically being placed on the same team.
What this means for server owners:
Reduced support tickets: Fewer players asking admins to teleport them to friends
Improved new player retention: Friends can actually find each other on spawn
Team balance considerations: Large groups may dominate spawning areas more effectively
Party Size and Server Population
While the old team limit was 8 players, the party system streamlines team formation and automatically incorporates members into the team UI within the server. Monitor your Rust server's team dynamics as this will most definitely affect PvP balance.
Outpost Spawn Point: New Admin Considerations
Permanent Spawn Mechanics
Players can now unlock a permanent spawn point at Outpost by completing a vendor challenge, featuring a 30-minute cooldown and not counting towards the bag limit.
Server admin impact:
Population distribution: Expect more concentrated activity around Outpost
Monument balance: May need to adjust loot spawns or NPC behavior
Softcore mode: This feature is disabled in Softcore mode since there's already a permanent spawn point available
Building System Updates Affecting Server Performance
Deployable Snapping System
The new deployable snapping system allows precise placement using Left Shift, coming in Simple and Advanced modes. This should reduce:
Player frustration with building placement
Accidental placement, slightly reducing overall deployables reducing RAM & disk usage
Support requests for stuck items on RP heavy Rust servers
Roof Stability Fixes
Fixes have been made to roof stabilization to address issues with pyramid-shaped bases, fixing problems with roofs breaking after server restarts. This is crucial for server stability and will reduce player complaints about lost structures.
Important note for admins: Facepunch acknowledges that some "bugs" like bunkers and external TCs are intentionally kept as gameplay mechanics, but they only fix variations that cross from "cool mechanics" into "game breaking". Which lets be real, is entirely reasonable.
Critical Rust Server Stability Fixes
Long Uptime Issues Resolved
Two major fixes for Rust servers with extended uptimes:
Fixed long server uptimes causing calorie consumption to be calculated incorrectly
Fixed long server uptimes sometimes causing freshly harvested food to spoil immediately
This means, you can run your Rust server for a little bit longer before needing to do a scheduled restart.
AI Spawning Control
Fixed Tunnel and Underwater Dwellers still spawning if ai.scientist_spawners_enable is false - giving server owners better control over AI spawning.
Enhanced Admin Commands
New Healing Console Commands
Console commands debug.refillvitals, debug.refillvitalsall, debug.heal now also recover players if they are in the injured state.
Console command inventory.clearinventory playername now clears whole inventory of the target player.
Patrol Helicopter Changes Affecting Server Events
Modified Behavior Patterns
The Patrol Helicopter now only flees a maximum of one map grid, prefers monuments as escape points, and will no longer flee if attacked from or near a monument.
Server impact:
More predictable helicopter behavior for events
Concentrated PvP around monuments
Flee location is now shown on the map, reducing player confusion
Rust Server Owner Recommendations
Monitor These Areas Post-Update:
Outpost activity surge - prepare for increased traffic and potential griefing
Team formation patterns - watch for large group domination with the new team system
Turret performance - you should see improved server FPS with these optimizations
Building stability - fewer complaints of broken roofs after restarts
Testing Checklist:
Verify AI spawner controls work correctly
Test new admin commands functionality
Monitor server performance around turret-heavy areas
Check party system integration with your plugins
Plugin Compatibility Considerations
The team system overhaul may affect plugins that:
Manage team invitations
Handle spawn point modifications
Control monument access or permissions
Monitor team sizes or balance
Recommendation: Test your essential plugins thoroughly, especially those related to team management, spawning, or monument control.
Looking Ahead
Next month brings a Hardcore mode refresh alongside quality-of-life improvements, and later this year the Naval Update will introduce modular, player-built boats with cannons.
The "Friends with Benefits" update demonstrates Facepunch's commitment to reducing new player friction while maintaining server stability. The performance optimizations, enhanced admin tools, and streamlined team system should collectively improve your server's player experience and reduce administrative overhead.
For Rust server owners, this update represents a net positive - better performance, enhanced admin controls, and features that should improve player retention without introducing major compatibility issues.
How to try new Rust Updates with Private Rust Server Hosting
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