Rust November 2026 Update: New Uzi, Blueprint Changes & More

November 5, 2026 | Royal Family Gaming

Updated November 5, 2026 — Includes additional details from Facepunch's official "Printed and Polished" release.

Rust's November update, officially titled Printed and Polished, is here, bringing one of the biggest rounds of performance improvements we've seen in a while, along with some pretty significant gameplay changes.

The new blueprint system, Uzi 9mm, roaming scientist patrols, farming improvements, and building changes are just some of what's included.

Now that Facepunch has released the full patch notes, we've updated our breakdown with a few more details worth knowing.

November Force Wipe

Thursday, November 5, 2026 — 11:00 AM PST / 2:00 PM EST

As usual, RFG servers require the latest Rust update before players can reconnect.

We'll continue monitoring server performance, plugin compatibility, and any issues that come up following the update.

Keep an eye on our Discord for maintenance announcements or additional server updates.

Blueprint Progression Overhaul

One of the biggest changes this month is how players unlock items through the tech tree.

Instead of spending scrap on tech tree unlocks, Rust now uses three blueprint materials:

• Blueprint Fragments: Tier 1 unlocks.

• Blueprint Pages: Tier 2 unlocks.

• Blueprint Books: Tier 3 unlocks.

These materials are obtained through looting, exploring, and other activities around the map. Lower-tier materials can also be combined into the next tier, giving players another way to work toward better equipment.

Scrap is still needed for crafting workbenches and researching items directly through the Research Table.

Facepunch has also adjusted two workbench upgrades:

• Salvage Upgrade: Now has a 20% chance to save a blueprint when unlocking technology.

• Prototype Upgrade: Now has a flat 25% success rate, without the previous cost-doubling mechanic.

The goal is to make progression more dependent on exploring and finding items rather than simply farming scrap.

Facepunch has already acknowledged that balancing adjustments may be needed as players get used to the system.

We'll be watching how it affects progression across our servers, particularly during the early stages of a wipe.

Our 5x servers will continue operating as NoBP, so blueprint unlocking isn't required there.

New Uzi 9mm

Rust's newest weapon is the Uzi 9mm, featuring two different firing modes controlled by its folding stock.

With the stock folded, the Uzi fires fully automatic and can be used with compatible shields.

Extend the stock, and it switches to semi-automatic fire with improved accuracy.

Players can switch between the two configurations by holding the fire-mode button.

The Uzi is a loot-only weapon, so it can't be crafted or researched.

We're interested to see where this one fits into PvP, especially with the ability to switch between close-range automatic fire and more controlled shots.

Roaming Scientist Patrols

Traveling along the coastline just got a little more dangerous.

Armed scientist boats now patrol the waters around the mainland, providing new encounters for players exploring the coast.

Facepunch confirmed that up to two patrol groups can appear, remaining active for up to an hour before leaving.

These patrols primarily target geared players, similar to how the Patrol Helicopter selects targets.

They also won't have map markers or announcements, so you may not know they're nearby until you run into them.

Scientist boats have received navigation and combat improvements, including better targeting and the ability for another scientist to take over if the driver is killed.

Definitely something to watch for when traveling by boat or heading toward Oil Rig.

Farming, Livestock & Wildlife

Players who enjoy the farming side of Rust are getting some welcome changes.

Cows and sheep have received improvements to feeding, movement, breeding, and general behavior. You can now pet your livestock and give them names.

A few notable changes include:

• Cows no longer die from old age.

• Starving cows lie down at 1 HP instead of dying.

• Feeding troughs provide better information about food supplies.

• Cows can store up to three milk, reducing how often they need attention.

• A new Potential stat rewards players for properly raising young animals.

• New shears allow players to collect wool without accidentally harming sheep.

Wool armor inserts have also been added, providing extra cold resistance alongside smaller defensive bonuses.

Wildlife is getting some attention, too. Crows and seagulls now appear around the map, while certain oak and palm trees can provide apples and coconuts.

There's also a new Crocodile Pie that helps keep aggressive wildlife away, including wolves, bears, sharks, and bees.

These are nice additions for anyone who enjoys building a farm, raising animals, or simply spending more time exploring.

Building & Quality-of-Life Improvements

Base builders are getting a few useful changes this month.

L-shaped and U-shaped stairs can now be mirrored, allowing more flexibility when designing bases.

Use Shift + R while placing stairs, or adjust them with a hammer within 10 minutes of placement.

Facepunch has also fixed several issues involving ramps, building skins, and structural placement.

One particularly welcome fix addresses triangle floors and frames taking explosive splash damage through walls in certain situations.

There are also improvements to modular cars, controller support, weapon animations, and various everyday gameplay interactions.

The Nailgun has received a visual overhaul with updated models, textures, and animations.

Another small but useful addition is the ability to call NPC services through in-game phones for information such as weather forecasts, power-grid status, traveling vendor timing, and available apartment rooms.

Major Performance Improvements

This is probably one of the most welcome parts of the November update.

Facepunch has spent considerable time improving Rust's performance, focusing on memory usage, networking, large bases, and some of the stutters players have been dealing with.

According to Facepunch's staging tests, the improvements include:

• Around 10% higher median FPS across tested players.

• Approximately 1.6 GB less memory usage.

• Reduced stuttering when firing weapons, loading large bases, and running Cargo.

• Garbage collection occurring roughly half as often.

• Up to 25% less network traffic in testing on a 500-player server.

Building privilege calculations have also been heavily optimized, reducing the processing needed to determine which Tool Cupboard controls an area.

These numbers come from Facepunch's testing, so actual results will vary depending on your PC, server population, and what's happening in-game.

For RFG, these are the kinds of improvements we're always happy to see, especially when it comes to larger bases and server performance.

We'll continue monitoring how everything performs across our network.

Other Changes Worth Mentioning

There's also a good number of smaller improvements included this month:

• Full Steam Input controller support, with additional improvements planned.

• Reduced fuel consumption and better acceleration for Diving Propulsion Vehicles.

• Modular cars spawning with some basic engine parts already installed.

• A slight damage increase for the Handmade SMG.

• Easier map-marker repositioning.

• The ability to extract seeds from berries without eating them.

• Accessibility improvements for identifying hemp plants.

• Updated explosive placement and throwing animations.

• Improvements to building placement, rendering, and entity processing.

• Various wildlife, vehicle, interface, and gameplay fixes.

Not every change is immediately noticeable, but together they should help make everyday gameplay a little smoother.

What Does This Mean for Royal Family Gaming?

As with any major Rust update, we'll be paying close attention to how everything performs across our US and EU servers.

The blueprint changes are probably going to be the biggest adjustment for players, while the performance improvements could make a noticeable difference depending on server activity.

We'll also be reviewing any compatibility issues involving our plugins and server configurations.

Our goal isn't to change things unnecessarily. We want to see how the update plays, address problems that come up, and keep the experience enjoyable across our different server types.

If you run into bugs or notice something that doesn't seem right, please report it through our Discord ticket system so the team can investigate.

See You on the Island!

Overall, November brings a pretty solid mix of new content, gameplay changes, and much-needed optimizations.

The blueprint overhaul will take some getting used to, the new Uzi should make for some interesting fights, and the scientist patrols add another reason to be careful around the coastline.

We're especially looking forward to seeing how the performance improvements hold up during normal gameplay.

Thanks to everyone who continues to support Royal Family Gaming. We appreciate you being part of the community!

Stay Connected:

• Royal Family Gaming Website

• Join Our Discord

• Knowledge Base

Good luck with the new wipe, and we'll see you in-game!

— Royal Family Gaming Team

Official Update: Rust — Printed and Polished (Facepunch Studios)

This article is Royal Family Gaming's independent overview of the November 2026 Rust update. Performance figures are based on Facepunch's staging tests, and actual results may vary.