What is Rust Staging Branch/Server
Rust staging is a branch that contains experimental features and changes.
The Rust staging branch is a place where the Rust team experiments with new features and changes to the language. The goal of this branch is to allow developers to keep up with top-of-the-tree developments without having to wait for official releases.
Nightly builds of the compiler are available for download from rustup, the Rust toolchain installer. If you have an existing installation of rustup, you can add the nightly toolchain by running:
rustup toolchain install nightly
The Development branch always contains the latest stable version of Rust.
The Rust Staging Branch is a more simplified version of the Rust Development Branch, it's basically a testing branch for things that aren't yet ready to be in the main branch.
The Development branch always contains the latest stable version of Rust. This means that you can easily get started with Rust without having to download and compile any code yourself! It also means that you know for sure that if you see something new in The Book or on this website, it’s been tried-and-tested and should work for you as well.
How to get on to the Rust staging server
If you wish to play on the Rust staging server, here's how to do it:
Open the Steam client.
Right click on Rust in your Steam library and select properties.
Go to the betas tab.
Select staging from the drop down list, then close properties window and restart Steam client (this will ensure that you're updated to latest experimental version)
Progress can be wiped in Staging servers.
Progress can be wiped at any time in Staging servers. To help test new updates, progress is periodically wiped. If you are ever disconnected from a server while playing or following an update, simply log back in again to the same server and continue your progress as normal. If a server has not been wiped, progress should be saved upon disconnecting.
Before an update, Staging servers will be wiped to allow for testing of the new features on clean data. These wipes are announced on the Rust blog. After each update, Staging servers are automatically wiped after one day of playtime for everyone on that server (however if less than 50 people played on that server during that day, it will not automatically wipe).
If you'd like to start fresh with a clean character and base, join a Staging Server!
Things you can do on the Rust staging server
The Rust staging branch allows you to test new features, game mechanics, and items that aren't yet (and may never be) ready for the main game. During Rust's Alpha stage of development, the staging branch is where features go to grow up before hitting the live game. Staging branches can be unstable and are not representative of final version quality. The only way to access the Rust staging branch is by purchasing a pre-made or custom Rust server from a hosting provider.
Things you can do on the Rust staging server:
Test new features.
Test new commands.
Test new items.
Test out new areas in the world of Rust with an experimental map generation option (not available in all servers).
