How to Wipe a Rust Server (Map, Blueprint and Full Wipe)

To wipe a Rust server, stop it, delete the right save files in your server's identity folder, and start it again. Deleting the .map and .sav files wipes the map, deleting the player.blueprints files wipes blueprints, and deleting everything except the cfg folder is a full wipe. This guide lists the exact files for each wipe type, plus what to do on force wipe day.

Short answer

1. Stop the server and take a backup.
2. Open server/<identity>/, for example server/rust/ or server/myserver/.
3. Map wipe: delete the .map file, the .sav files and the player.states files.
4. Blueprint wipe: also delete the player.blueprints files.
5. Optional: change server.seed for a new map.
6. Start the server. It generates a fresh map on boot.

Types of wipe

Most community servers map wipe weekly or every two weeks and blueprint wipe once a month on force wipe day. For a small friend group, a map wipe every force wipe is often enough.

Where the files are

Rust keeps all save data in server/ followed by the identity name set with +server.identity. On a self hosted setup from our Rust server guide that is server/myserver/. On a hosted server, open the Files tab and look inside server/ for the one folder there.

Inside you will see files like these (numbers vary with the Rust version, size and seed):

proceduralmap.4000.1234.270.map
proceduralmap.4000.1234.270.sav
proceduralmap.4000.1234.270.sav.1
player.blueprints.5.db
player.blueprints.5.db-wal
player.states.270.db
player.states.270.db-wal
player.deaths.5.db
player.identities.5.db
sv.files.270.db
cfg/

How to do a map wipe

1. Stop the server. Deleting files while it runs does nothing, because it writes them back on the next save.
2. Take a backup so you can undo a mistake.
3. Delete every file ending in .map, .sav or .sav.<number>.
4. Delete the player.states.*.db files and their -wal partners, so players spawn fresh instead of keeping old inventories.
5. Start the server. The first boot generates the map, which takes a few minutes.

If you use a custom map, the server downloads it again from server.levelurl on boot.

How to do a blueprint wipe

Do everything in the map wipe, then also delete:

player.blueprints.*.db
player.blueprints.*.db-wal

Delete both. Leaving a -wal file behind can bring old data back or corrupt the new database.

How to do a full wipe

Delete everything in the identity folder except the cfg folder. That clears deaths, identities, sign and painting images (sv.files) and all save data, while keeping server.cfg and users.cfg, so you stay the owner.

Changing the map on a wipe

A wipe is the only moment a new map takes effect.

• New random map: change server.seed to any number up to 2147483647. Sites like RustMaps let you preview seeds before you pick one.
• Different size: change server.worldsize. 3000 suits a small group, 4000 to 4500 is the classic community size. Bigger maps need more RAM.
• Custom map: set server.levelurl to a direct download link for the .map file.

If you change the seed or size without deleting the old map files, the server just loads a new map next to the old save. Delete the old files as above.

Force wipe day

Facepunch releases a big Rust update on the first Thursday of every month, usually around 2 PM US Eastern time. Old maps do not load on the new version, so every server has to map wipe that day. Blueprint wipes are optional unless Facepunch says otherwise in the update notes.

On force wipe day:

1. Stop the server and take a backup.
2. Update the server. Self hosters run SteamCMD with +app_update 258550 validate. On a hosted server, a restart updates it.
3. Update Oxide or Carbon. Rust updates overwrite their files, so plugins stop loading until you do.
4. Do your map wipe, and a blueprint wipe if you want one.
5. Start the server and check the console for plugin errors.

Self hosting means doing this every month at the moment Facepunch ships, often while your friends are already waiting to play. With a GamezServers Rust server you do it from the browser: Backup, delete the files in the Files tab and press Restart, with no SteamCMD involved.

Plugin data after a wipe

Some Oxide and Carbon plugins keep data between wipes in oxide/data (or carbon/data), such as teleport homes, kits cooldowns or shop balances. Many reset themselves on a new map, but some do not. Check each plugin's page, and delete its data file if you want a clean start. Never delete the oxide/config or carbon/configs folders unless you want default settings back.

Tell your players

Announce the wipe before you do it. The Broadcast button in the panel sends a message to everyone online, or type say "Map wipe in 10 minutes" in the console. Put your schedule in server.description and add a tag like weekly or monthly with server.tags so the browser shows it.

FAQ

Does a Rust map wipe remove blueprints?

No. A map wipe keeps blueprints unless you also delete the player.blueprints files.

Do I have to wipe my Rust server every month?

The map, yes. Old maps do not load after the monthly update on the first Thursday. Blueprint wipes are your choice.

Will wiping remove my admin rights?

No. Owners and moderators are saved in cfg/users.cfg, which none of these wipes touch.

Why did my wipe not work?

Usually the server was still running while you deleted the files, so it saved them again, or a .sav.1 backup file was left behind. Stop the server first and delete every .sav variant.

How often should a friend server wipe?

Monthly on force wipe day is enough for most small groups. Weekly wipes suit busy servers where bases get big fast.