Map wipe: a fresh world, same progression
A map wipe generates a new map and clears bases and loot, but on a server that only does a map wipe your blueprints can carry over. It is the lightest reset: a clean world without throwing away everything you have learned to craft.
Many servers run a weekly map wipe to keep the world fresh between the bigger monthly resets.
Blueprint wipe: back to scratch on crafting
A blueprint wipe clears the blueprints you have unlocked, so you start the tech tree again. When a server does a blueprint wipe alongside a map wipe, everyone is on a truly even footing from minute one.
Blueprint wipes are why a force wipe feels like a real fresh start rather than just a new map.
Force wipe: the monthly full reset
A force wipe happens on the first Thursday of each month when Facepunch ships the monthly update. It forces every server to wipe the map, and most servers wipe blueprints too, so it is the biggest and most-played wipe of the month.
The force wipe is the single busiest moment in Rust, which is why fresh servers fill fastest right after it.
- Map wipe: new world, bases and loot cleared.
- Blueprint wipe: crafting progress reset.
- Force wipe: monthly update that forces a wipe, usually map plus blueprints.
Rust servers that keep blueprints between wipes (EU)
If you want fresh maps without re-grinding the tech tree every week, look for servers that separate the two resets. On RustFront, every weekly server — EU Main, EU Solo, EU Trio, EU Monday, EU Small, EU Weekend, and EU 2x — keeps your blueprints through the weekly map wipe: the world resets, your crafting knowledge does not.
Blueprints across the network reset only at the monthly force wipe on the first Thursday of the month, so the tech race restarts once a month for everyone at the same time. And if even a weekly map reset is more churn than you want, EU Monthly skips weekly map wipes entirely: one map lasts the whole month, with map and blueprints resetting together at force wipe.
How to plan around wipe types
Decide whether you want a true fresh start or just a new map. For an even playing field, look for a wipe that resets blueprints. To keep your tech and just refresh the world, a map-only wipe is enough.
RustFront publishes each server's wipe schedule so you can see exactly what resets and when before you commit a wipe.
Common questions
What is the difference between a map wipe and a blueprint wipe?
A map wipe resets the world, bases, and loot. A blueprint wipe additionally resets the crafting progress you have unlocked. A force wipe usually does both.
When is the Rust force wipe?
The force wipe lands on the first Thursday of each month with the monthly Facepunch update, which forces every server to wipe.
Do all servers wipe blueprints on a force wipe?
Most do, but not all. Check the server's wipe schedule to confirm whether it wipes blueprints as well as the map.
Do RustFront weekly servers wipe blueprints?
No. Every RustFront weekly server keeps your blueprints through its weekly map wipe; blueprints reset only at the monthly force wipe on the first Thursday of the month. EU Monthly goes a step further: its map itself lasts the whole month and resets together with blueprints at force wipe.