How to Manage Rust Server Wipes and Automation

Overview

Periodic wipes keep dedicated Rust servers healthy by clearing clutter entities, resetting progression, and generating fresh procedural terrain. Understanding the distinction between map wipes and blueprint wipes is essential for maintaining an active player base.

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Map Wipe vs Blueprint Wipe

Map Wipe (Fresh World)

A map wipe deletes world terrain, player inventory states, structures, deployables, and dropped items. Player blueprint tech-tree unlock progress is retained.

• Deleted Files:
  • proceduralmap.*.*.sav (terrain, bases, deployables)
  • proceduralmap.*.*.map (cached terrain bundle)
  • player.deaths.*.db, player.states.*.db (player positions and corpses)
• Retained Files:
  • player.blueprints.*.db (researched blueprints)

Full Blueprint Wipe (Hard Wipe)

A blueprint wipe resets everything in a map wipe PLUS deletes all player tech-tree research.

• Deleted Files:
  • All .sav and .map files
  • player.blueprints.*.db
  • sv.files.*.db (custom map photo paintings and signs)

Facepunch Forced Wipe: Facepunch releases a mandatory game update on the first Thursday of every month at 19:00 UTC (14:00 EST). This update always forces a server map wipe across all Rust servers worldwide to support protocol and world generation updates.

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Performing a Manual Map Wipe in DustBowl Warden

1. Stop the server from the Warden Console tab.
2. Open the Startup tab.
3. Change the Server Seed to a new random integer between 1 and 2147483647. Changing the seed instructs the server engine to create a new save file.
4. Open the File Manager and navigate to:

/server/<server-identity>/

5. Select and delete old proceduralmap.*.sav files to reclaim disk space.
6. If you wish to perform a full blueprint wipe, also delete:

player.blueprints.*.db

7. Return to the Console tab and click Start.

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Automated Wipes via Warden Schedules

DustBowl Warden includes a cron-based scheduler in the Schedules tab. You can configure automatic wipes and seed rotations on set days of the week:

1. In your server dashboard, navigate to Schedules.
2. Click Create Schedule.
3. Name it Weekly Map Wipe Thursday.
4. Configure the cron expression for every Thursday at 18:00:

0 18 * * 4

5. Add the following sequential tasks:
   • Task 1: Send Power Action -> Stop
   • Task 2: Delete File/Folder -> /server/<identity>/proceduralmap.*.sav
   • Task 3: Send Power Action -> Start

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Next Steps

• Install plugins and frameworks in How to Install Oxide (uMod) and Carbon on a Rust Server.
• Learn how to restore previous saves in How to Backup and Restore a Rust Dedicated Server.