Rust Jungle Update

The Rust Jungle Update (May 2025) brings a brand-new, lush tropical biome to the game. It’s the first new biome since Rust launched: a dense jungle covering parts of the map at low elevation with a flatter terrain, thicker undergrowth, and lots more rivers than before. In fact, all rivers in the game were extended to be longer, wider, and deeper – you must swim across them now, including in the jungle. The jungle is packed with new plants: bromeliads, monstera and arrowroot plants, Calathea underbrush, trumpet trees, jungle palms, sandbox trees, and especially huge kapok trees. These enormous kapok trees can be climbed and even have vines to swing from up top. The devs note that despite the new environment, you can still build bases “full base building like all other biomes” here. In other words, you can tuck a base away between the foliage as usual. Just be careful: the jungle’s dense canopy and vines can hide sounds and movements, so you’ll need to move cautiously and listen carefully as you explore.

Swinging Vines and Tree Climbing

One of the coolest new mechanics is the jungle’s interactive vines. Climb up the gigantic kapok trees and grab the vines hanging from the branches – you can swing from tree to tree, covering huge distances overhead. Swinging is fast and silent, making it great for getting the drop on enemies or crossing gaps quickly. After you swing, you have to throw the vine back for your team to use it. It’s a powerful new mode of travel (the devs even urge you to “embrace your inner Tarzan”). You can also chop down these vines like normal wood: they give timber, leaving behind a sturdy stump, and the tree regrows after a while. This keeps the jungle looking natural even after you harvest its vines.

Jungle Monuments and Ruins

Hidden among the foliage are new jungle monuments. Ancient stone buildings have been reclaimed by the jungle. Most notable is the Jungle Ziggurat, a weathered temple structure with its own mysteries. Scattered around it are overgrown jungle ruins – small monument ruins filled with low-tier loot. These Jungle Ruins are perfect for a quick early-game stop. You’ll find mostly basic supplies and weapons suitable for new players. In other words, if you wander across one, you can quickly stock up on scrap, cloth, and low-grade gear before continuing your trek. These ruins give new and veteran players a little “safety net” of loot right in the wild jungle.

Deadly Wildlife: Tigers, Panthers, Crocodiles, and Snakes

The jungle may look pretty, but it’s brutal. New deadly animals roam the undergrowth. First among them is the tiger, perhaps the deadliest land animal in Rust. Tigers stalk low in the grass and pounce only when they’re sure of a kill. One second of inattention can get you killed. Thankfully, subtle audio or visual cues are built in, so careful players can pick up hints if a tiger is creeping up. Equally dangerous is the very rare black panther. It has completely black fur, making it nearly invisible in the jungle shadows. The devs warn players: “Don’t just look for orange stripes – a panther may be sneaking up on you.” Even these panthers can apparently be bested by a clever trick, which sharp-eyed survivors will discover.

In the water, crocodiles lurk in the rivers. These scaly beasts are extremely tough; the devs call crocodiles “perhaps the toughest animal” in Rust. They may look slow on land, but one bite can do massive damage. If you know the right move (as hinted by the devs), a skilled player can get the upper hand on even a crocodile. Always give these reptiles a wide berth – respect is the safest approach, since they’re deadly both on land and in water.

Even the snakes are no joke. They slither quietly through the underbrush and strike with a quick venomous bite. Their only warning is a subtle hissing sound – jump at just the right moment and you’ll avoid the attack entirely. If you do get bitten, the poison will slow you down briefly. On the bright side, killing snakes yields Snake Venom, a valuable new resource used to craft Incapacitate Darts for the blowpipe. Observing the jungle for clues (like faint rattles or movement) will make the difference between predator and prey here.

New Weapons: Boomerang and Blowpipe

Two new weapons help you fight back. The Boomerang is an early-craftable throwing weapon made of wood and metal. It travels in a fixed arc and, if thrown well, comes right back to your hand. This lets you hit enemies at range and then catch the boomerang to use again – you can even punch enemies as it returns. In close quarters, you can swing the boomerang like a club if foes get too near. Mastering the boomerang takes skill, but in capable hands it’s a versatile tool.

The Blowpipe is a silent ranged weapon perfect for stealth attacks. It fires special darts with various effects: the basic Wood Dart (light damage), the Scatter Dart (explodes into 5 small darts at short range), the Incapacitate Dart (slows targets and clouds their vision), and the Radiation Dart (inflicts gradually increasing radiation damage). The blowpipe is cheap to make (just pipe and mouthpiece) and makes almost no noise, making it great for ambushes.

Remarkably, the new darts tie into the jungle ecosystem: Snake Venom is used to craft Incapacitate Darts. Combining these tools effectively – for example, poisoning a trap with snake venom – will greatly improve your odds against jungle threats.

Quality-of-Life and Other Changes

A player powers up a vending machine (now a refrigerator) to preserve food in their jungle camp.

Besides all the jungle content, the update includes numerous small improvements:

• Rivers: All rivers are now longer, wider, and deeper. You must swim across them everywhere.
• Powered Vending Machines: Vending machines can be powered and now act like refrigerators, keeping food from spoiling.
• Food Preservation Icon: A new UI icon indicates when food is being kept fresh by cooling.
• Chicken Coop: The chicken coop is resized to fit on a foundation and now snaps into place automatically.
• New Jungle Meats: Additional meat types from jungle animals (like Tiger meat and Snake meat) have been added.
• Outbreak Scientists: New Outbreak scientist NPCs spawn in the jungle, adding unexpected combat encounters.
• Leather Gloves: Leather gloves are now default blueprints (no sewing kit needed).

These tweaks improve the game overall: for instance, vending machines as fridges let you stockpile food safely, and the snapping chicken coop makes farm building easier. In sum, these changes make Rust smoother and more realistic.

Jungle DLC Item Pack

Along with the free content, the Jungle Pack DLC drops 20 themed skins and items into Rust. Highlights include:

• Bamboo Furniture: New bamboo salvaged shelves (full, half, shallow) and bamboo wall shelves to give bases a jungle aesthetic.
• Bamboo Crates: Skins for large wood crates (vertical and horizontal) in bamboo designs.
• Jungle Relic AK-47: An overgrown, mossy skin for the Assault Rifle, as if it’s an ancient relic.
• Cocoknight Armor: A full wood armor set (helmet, chest, pants, plus new gloves) woven from bark, vines, and coconuts.
• Obsidian Bone Knife: A dark obsidian-themed skin for the Bone Knife, sharp and mysterious.
• Jungle Idol Rock: A placeable idol statue said to bring death to whoever holds it.
• Plus themed wallpapers, sprays, gestures, and emojis to complete the vibe.

You can obtain these skins in Rust’s Item Store on Steam or in-game, letting you decorate your base in full jungle style.

Rent a Server and Explore the Jungle

Ready to tackle the Jungle? Grab your friends and set up your own Rust server. With reliable Rust server hosting, you can control the map, loot spawns, and rules. PineRiver is a top rust server provider offering cheap Rust server plans for communities of any size. For example, rent a Rust server from PineRiver. Hosting your own server means you experience the jungle update on your terms – practice new tactics without fear of losing everything, and build your base in peace. There’s no better way to enjoy the new wildlife and ruins than having full control. Rent a cheap Rust server from PineRiver and start your Jungle adventure today. The green wilds of Rust await you!