Already today, February 5, Rust receives one of its biggest updates in recent months - the Naval Update, which significantly expands ocean content and introduces new activities.
The update adds a global limited-time event called Deep Sea, reworks marine travel, removes the tugboat, and introduces new buildable rafts. All of these changes directly affect farming, PvE, PvP, and the server economy.
Deep Sea - a new global ocean event
Deep Sea is a high-tier temporary zone located in the T3 area of the map, beyond the Oil Rigs. The event operates on a cycle: the zone opens for 3 hours, followed by a 1-hour cooldown.
The boundaries of the zone are marked by buoys with lights. Red lights mean the event is closed, green lights indicate that the zone is active. You can only enter Deep Sea using a new homemade raft or a RHIB. Regular motorboats are not allowed.
Inside Deep Sea, the map starts unexplored. The area reveals itself gradually as you move between islands and points of interest. The zone itself is compact, with all major locations visible within line of sight.
Zone timer and full loot loss risk
Deep Sea is built entirely around risk. Players receive both text and audio warnings 20 minutes before the zone closes. If you fail to leave before the timer ends, your character dies automatically, you are teleported back to the main map, and all loot inside the zone is permanently deleted.
Once the event closes, every item and object within Deep Sea disappears completely. There is no way to recover lost loot, making this one of the most dangerous but also most rewarding activities in Rust.
Islands, ships, and points of interest
The zone contains six islands, four ghost ships, the Sea City, and several sea patrol routes. Medium-sized islands are rich in ore, while docks offer large amounts of fuel barrels. A special motorboat also spawns there, usable only within Deep Sea.
Larger islands feature ruins with military crates. One island includes a support call terminal similar to the Giant Excavator. When activated, a plane arrives and drops an airdrop directly onto the island, often triggering PvP encounters.
New resource - coconut
A new consumable item, the coconut, spawns on Deep Sea islands. Up to 20 coconuts can stack in one slot. Each coconut restores 50 water, 15 food, and grants 2 HP. This makes it easier to sustain long expeditions without returning to base.
Deep Sea related quests
On the main map, a quest related to Deep Sea can be obtained in the NPC city. Completing it requires a metal detector to locate a buried treasure on the islands. Inside the cache, players find a note and four metal armor plates. Returning to the NPC rewards 100 scrap.
Inside the Sea City within Deep Sea, another quest is available. Players must eliminate eight patrol bots. The reward is a rocket launcher and six high-velocity rockets.
Ghost ships and sea patrols
Each ghost ship contains significant loot, including elite and military crates. One ship features a locked crate that opens on a 15-minute timer, similar to Oil Rig or Cargo.
Once the crate is activated, a sea patrol arrives, consisting of two military boats and a new patrol craft. The patrol boat is equipped with front and rear machine guns using 5.56 ammo, which players can operate. After clearing the patrol, additional valuable loot can be found inside the boats.
Sea City - safe zone and economic hub
Sea City is the only safe zone within Deep Sea. It features vendors offering the same goods as mainland NPC cities, but without markup. The city also includes three recyclers, a gambling area, a boat vendor, and a functional farm.
Access to the farm costs 150 scrap. Inside, players can harvest pre-grown crops such as cloth plants, potatoes, corn, and pumpkins. Drone deliveries between Sea City and the mainland are disabled.
Tugboat removal and new rafts
With the Naval Update, the tugboat is completely removed from the game. It is replaced by new rafts that allow full construction, letting players build structures, place deployables, and use them as mobile sea bases.
Conclusion
The Rust Naval Update, releasing today, February 5, fundamentally changes the role of the ocean. Deep Sea becomes a high-risk, high-reward event, while new transport mechanics and buildable rafts expand tactical options for players.
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