Greetings, dear players and the Rust community.As many of you already know, on February 5, 2026 at 9:00 PM Kyiv time, a new update will be released in the game, bringing major changes that we are about to discuss.
New Location – The Deep Sea
From now on, a new location called “The Deep Sea” will appear in the game, where most of the new content will be concentrated. This zone will be available for 3 hours, and you will be able to see the timer in real time when you open the map.
When the zone starts closing, you will receive a notification telling you to leave the sea immediately, and radiation will gradually begin to affect you to ensure you don’t stay there too long.
At the moment, the restart period of this location is 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Here you will find new places for adventure: ghost ships, tropical islands, and of course a new safe zone (Floating City). More details below.
Ghost Ships
Ghost ships are a new battleground and a way to obtain extremely valuable loot. Currently, 5 such ships will be present in the sea, guarded by new bots with a new artificial intelligence, which we’ll discuss later.
On these ships you can find various types of crates already familiar from the game: standard, military, and elite crates (1–2). Additionally, on one of the ships a locked crate will randomly spawn. It must be activated and defended not only from enemies hunting you, but also from boats with bots that will arrive to protect the locked crate. Be careful and prepare properly for battle.
New Tropical Islands
As mentioned earlier, the Deep Sea will also feature new tropical islands, randomly scattered across the map. These picturesque locations attract players with their beauty and potential resources. However, it’s not that simple, as the islands are protected by local NPCs who will not let you take what’s there without a fight.
Currently, you can find:
- Coconuts (a new food item)
- Small ammo crates located near cannons
- Fuel barrels (up to 12 at a time)
- Large sulfur and metal deposits (allowing you to collect up to 3,000 sulfur and 6,000 metal ore)
- Ruins with standard and military crates
That’s not all. Some islands also contain a Supply Drop call-in point, which works similarly to the one currently available at the Giant Excavator. All you need to do is press “Call Drop” and wait 5–8 minutes for it to land on your island.
Floating City – Safe Zone
Although the Deep Sea is full of danger, the developers didn’t forget about a safe zone and created a new city that combines elements of the Outpost, Bandit Camp, and Fishing Village from the main land, with some changes and tweaks.
You won’t be able to purchase air transport here, as it is prohibited in this zone. However, you can buy access to a new farm, where you can gather food and plant clones if you find what you need.
The cost is 150 scrap for 5 minutes of access.
It’s also worth noting that this floating city has no taxes on goods. All items are sold at fixed prices that do not change, unlike on the main island. So if you’re unhappy with early wipe prices and looking for cheaper options — welcome to the Floating City, if you can manage to get there.
You can also find a new NPC here who gives a mission: for killing 8 Heavy Scientists, you will receive 1 rocket launcher and 6 high-velocity rockets. A small warning though — you can only return to this NPC 5 minutes after completing the mission, due to the terms of cooperation.
New NPC Artificial Intelligence
As mentioned above, new scientists with a new AI will appear in the game — and this is no joke for players. These bots will be found at the following monuments:
- Tropical islands
- Ghost ships
- Large and small Oil Rigs
These are no longer the simple bots we’re used to. They are a real nightmare, as they can now think through their actions and operate in pairs. Scientists can communicate with each other and share information about your location. They have also learned to move silently and use smoke grenades for tactical retreats or flanking maneuvers.
So stay alert and bring more serious weapons — bows and arrows are a thing of the past.
Additionally, new boats with scientist NPCs will patrol the Deep Sea and arrive if you activate a locked crate on an oil rig or a ghost ship. These armed bots also have access to a new military patrol boat equipped with a high-caliber machine gun, capable of sending you back to the beach — your spawn point — in seconds. Be extremely careful around them.
New Player-Built Ships
We’ve talked a lot about the Deep Sea, but not how to get there — so meet the new ships you can build yourself, customized to your needs.
Before building, you must first research all required components at Tier 1 and Tier 2 workbenches:
- Boat Construction Station (Tier 1, 30 scrap)
Crafting: 200 wood, 1 tarp - Boat Blueprint (Tier 1, 30 scrap)
Crafting: 20 wood - Steering Wheel (Tier 1, 15 scrap)
Crafting: 100 wood - Sail (Tier 1, 15 scrap)
Crafting: 150 wood, 1 tarp - Anchor (Tier 1, 15 scrap)
Crafting: 250 wood - Plank (Tier 1, 15 scrap)
Crafting: 100 wood - Small Ramp (Tier 1, 15 scrap)
Crafting: 250 wood, 2 rope - Core (Tier 1, 30 scrap)
Crafting: 50 metal fragments, 15 gunpowder - Cannon (Tier 1, 15 scrap)
Crafting: 100 wood, 200 metal fragments - Small Boat Engine (Tier 2, 15 scrap)
Crafting: 5 high-quality metal, 2 gears, 50 low-grade fuel
Once everything is prepared, place the Boat Construction Station in the sea and build your ship within the designated area according to your vision. Mandatory components required to launch the ship will be shown in the top-right corner: steering wheel, anchor, and either a sail or a small engine.
Note: The larger the ship and the more additional walls it has, the more HP and mass it gains. This directly affects the required propulsion — more sails or engines will be needed. Always consider whether you can afford the fuel costs before launching your ship.
The article was created by the author of the YouTube channel «Кайлом в плечі».
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