# Rust PRIMITIVE

- Product: Rust (https://whatsnew.fyi/product/rust-game)
- Vendor: Facepunch Studios
- Date: 2025-02-06
- Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/252490/view/508445806184890585
- Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/rust-game/releases/2025-02-06-primitive

What's New is an index, not a publisher: every entry below links to the vendor's own release notes, which are the authoritative source. Entries are labelled where they are hand-curated sample data, pre-releases, or drawn from a secondary source such as a developer blog.

Reuse: the summaries, labels and curation here are © What's New. Quote freely with attribution and a link back; wholesale republication of the corpus is not permitted — terms: https://whatsnew.fyi/terms. The vendors' own release notes remain their publishers'.

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- **added** — Primitive gamemode with restricted weapons, armor, and building grades
- **added** — Four new siege weapons: Catapult, Siege Tower, Battering Ram, and Ballista
- **added** — Catapult ammunition including Scattershot, Firebomb, and Propane Explosive Bomb
- **added** — Ballista bolts including Pitchfork Bolt, Piercer Bolt, Hammerhead Bolt, and Incendiary Bolt
- **added** — Shields as a new backpack slot item with three variants and damage blocking
- **added** — 4 shot Mini Crossbow with rotating barrel
- **added** — Stationary Ballista deployable within bases for defensive use
- **changed** — Horses completely overhauled with improved terrain traversal, skidding mechanics, swimming, and tree avoidance
- **changed** — Horses can now tow siege weapons
- **changed** — Horse performance impact on servers massively improved
- **removed** — Primitive mode removes Facemask and Metal Chest Plate armor
- **removed** — Primitive mode removes Metal and Armored building grades
- **removed** — Primitive mode removes Armored Doors
- **removed** — Primitive mode removes C4, Rockets, and Explosive ammo from building and raiding
- **removed** — Primitive mode removes MLRS
- **removed** — Primitive mode removes monuments: Oil Rig, Missile Silo, Excavator, and Underwater Labs
- **removed** — Primitive mode removes Underground Train System
- **removed** — Primitive mode removes Scientist NPCs
- **removed** — Primitive mode removes Helicopters: Minicopter, Scrap Transport Helicopter, and Attack Helicopter
- **changed** — Primitive mode reduces Sulfur Nodes spawn by 50%
- **changed** — Primitive mode increases Tech Tree Tax by 2x

##### PRIMITIVE GAMEMODE

The early game of Rust can be the most exciting, unfortunately players rush to fully automatic rifles as fast as possible to get an edge over their enemies. What if the early game could last forever....?

The primitive mode brings us to a distant future where the knowledge of high tech items have been lost, leaving the inhabitants of the island only able to make basic items.

The following changes apply to the primitive game mode.

Allowed Weapons

-  Melee

-  Bow, Compound Bow, Crossbow, Mini Crossbow

-  Speargun

-  Eoka

-  Beancan Grenade, Molotov

-  Flashlight Attachment

-  Shields

Restricted Armor

-  Removed Facemask

-  Removed Metal Chest Plate

Resources Changes

-  Less Sulfur Nodes Spawn (50%)

-  Increased Tech Tree Tax (2x)

Loot Changes

-  Jackhammer & Chainsaw (loot only)

-  New travelling vendor trades

Raiding Changes

-  Removed All Rockets & C4

-  Removed MLRS

Building Changes

-  Removed Metal Building Grade

-  Removed Armored Building Grade

-  Removed Armored Doors

-  Removed C4, Rockets & Explosive ammo

World Modifications

-  Removed Monuments (Oil Rig, Missile Silo, Excavator, Underwater Labs)

-  Removed Underground Train System

-  Removed Scientist NPCs (vendors remain)

-  Disabled Patrol Heli Event

-  Disabled Cargo Ship Event

-  Disabled Bradley APC

-  Increased Wild Horse Spawns (2x)

Travel Changes

-  Removed Helicopters (Minicopter, Scrap Transport Helicopter, Attack Helicopter)

##### SIEGE WEAPONS

Introducing 4 new vehicles: the siege weapons!

Designed for early game raiding, they're all craftable and deployable in the wilds. A great addition to your raiding and grubbing arsenal.

In addition to the cost to craft, building them will require extra materials and a hammer

They are both available in the primitive and vanilla game modes, from the workbench level 2.

##### CATAPULT

The catapult is capable of launching powerful projectiles with a large impact radius.

It comes with 3 new ammunition items:

-  Scattershot: multiple rocks in a spread

-  Firebomb: ignites on impact, spreading flames

-  Propane Explosive Bomb: high-damage explosives, damages construction

It can also launch players. Use at your own risk.

##### CATAPULT AMMO

You can also use the Firebomb and Propane bombs as a deployable raiding tool. Once deployed they will start to spark when they take any damage and explode after several seconds. When used in this way bombs will do less damage.

##### SIEGE TOWER

The Siege Tower provides a new way to get into compounds, high open windows or help with a raid. As the heaviest Siege Weapon, these towers lack some mobility, but make up for it in strength. Like the other Siege Weapons: The Siege Tower can be towed by a horse, or pushed to get it into position.

Each tower is 3 levels tall, with a drawbridge on each level. Use the drawbridge to provide some protection as you assault a base.

Each tower can have a door placed at the bottom for an added layer of security.

##### BATTERING RAM

The battering ram is a heavy fuel-powered vehicle you can drive around. Its reinforced arm can be used to destroy wooden and stone constructions

The ram takes damage with each hit and will need high-quality metal to stay operational.

##### BALLISTA

The ballista is a massive, wheeled crossbow designed for long-range combat. It can be deployed on terrain and towed by horses.

It can fire 4 new bolt items:

-  Pitchfork Bolt: large sweeping projectile

-  Piercer Bolt: penetrates armored vehicles

-  Hammerhead Bolt: heavy and solid, deals damage to doors

-  Incendiary Bolt: ignites on impact, spreading flames

A stationary version is also available, which can be deployed within your base for defensive use.

##### SHIELDS

Shields are a new backpack slot item that allows you handle frontal threats with ease. Simply equip the shield in your backpack slot and equip a compatible single handed weapon and the shield will automatically appear.

While holdi

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