How to switch your Rust server to the staging branch

Rust has two builds you can run: Release, the normal game, and Staging, Facepunch's test build of the next update. Change Branch in Game Settings and restart. Your server runs Release unless you change it.

Switch branch

Back up first. See How to back up and restore your Rust world.

1. Open your server in the panel, click the Settings tab, then Game Settings.
2. Set Branch to Staging. For the normal game, leave it on Release.

3. A box says Your branch change is not installed yet. Click Restart and update now, or restart the server yourself. See How to start, stop, restart and force-stop your server.
4. Watch the Console. A line like [PlayNHost] Installing the Rust staging branch tells you it is switching. The panel checks every game file, which takes a few minutes, so the first start is slower than usual.

You need the Change startup permission to change the branch.

If the box says This server needs a one-time refresh from our team before it can update from here, open a ticket and we will do it for you.

How players join a staging server

Players need the Rust Staging Branch app in their Steam library. Then they join with the address from the Play with friends card as usual. See How to join your Rust server. Players on the normal game cannot join a Staging server.

Plugins on Staging

Oxide and Carbon are built for Release, so plugins may not load on Staging. The Console says so: Oxide and Carbon are built for the release branch. On staging they may fail to load; switch Framework to Vanilla or the branch back to Release if the server does not start. Go back to Release if you need your plugins. See How to add mods to your Rust server. The automatic update restart leaves Oxide servers on Staging alone for the same reason.

Go back to Release

1. Back up first.
2. Set Branch back to Release and restart. The panel checks every game file again.

Keep a backup made before you switched, so you can go back to the world as it was on Release.

Updates

When Steam has a newer build for your branch, Game Settings shows a notice: How to update your Rust server.

Good to know

• Staging is for testing. Do not run your community's main map on it.
• A copy of your server is a safer place to try Staging: How to make a copy of your server and try a change on it first.