Rust Finally Adding Backpacks 10 Years Later

Rust is one of the longest-running survival games on the market. The developers at Facepunch Studios first introduced the game as essentially a clone of DayZ back in 2013, but the game has grown quite a bit since then. During its early access period, the game was ported to Unity 5 and introduced all kinds of updates to the core gameplay. However, one thing that's been missing since launch is the backpack. It might seem like small potatoes, but the backpack update provides players with more inventory space, which is very important in a survival-focused game. Fortunately, Facepunch announced recently that the backpack update is finally coming to Rust after a decade of waiting.

Rust Backpack Update Release Date

This month's content update and map wipe are now live!
Check out the blog for an idea of where we're taking Rust in 2024 and beyond, as well as a list of fixes, QoL improvements, and Trust in Rust is back!https://t.co/PgUfKin1Q4 👈 pic.twitter.com/KlmVv4kJKJ

— Rust (@playrust) January 4, 2024

The new blog post is a full detail of Facepunch Studios' plans for 2024, but the studio led with the backpack news. When the new item is added to Rust, players will be able to craft it, opening up more inventory space than they've ever had. The backpack update is set to drop on February 1, meaning players will only need to wait for a few more short weeks until the update is live. That said, backpacks will be available on Staging later this week to give players plenty of time to get used to them and work out any kinks that have unexpectedly popped up during development.

Of course, that's not the only thing Rust players have to look forward to in 2024. While the backpack is the only thing Facepunch gave us a date for, the team also announced several other upcoming features. This includes the addition of several new and revamped monuments, including areas like the Compound. Facepunch also wants to institute a new, optional tutorial system for new players. Considering the survival game has been around for more than a decade, that's a good idea. There's a ton of content in the game, and jumping in without any kind of assistance can be tough.

The team also has a few broader additions planned that it will likely detail in future updates. That includes new buildable areas and a new biome. There are also plans to rework harbors to give defenders less of an advantage. Obviously, Facepunch will also continue to improve performance, including fixes for the global rendering feature that was added last fall. 

Unfortunately, it's not all good news for Rust players. Facepunch announced that pets, a feature that has long been requested, won't make its way into the game this year. The team still plans to bring them to the game in the future, it just won't be in 2024. It is good to see that the developers aren't dropping the feature altogether, and hopefully, we'll learn more about it later this year.

Rust is available now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The backpack update is set to launch on February 1.