To change a Rust server’s mode, set the server.gamemode convar to vanilla, softcore, hardcore, or primitive, then restart the server. You can define it as +server.gamemode <name> in the startup arguments or as server.gamemode <name> in server.cfg. Use one method only. Plan the change for the beginning of a new wipe because changing modes can reset player data.
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What controls a Rust server’s game mode?
Rust uses the server.gamemode convar to select the ruleset loaded when the server starts. The value is the mode name, written in lowercase. The four documented names are:
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| Value | What it means | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
vanilla |
The standard Rust ruleset. | Most community servers and players who want the normal progression. |
softcore |
Vanilla Rust with changes intended to make recovery and player-versus-player encounters easier. | Newer players, mixed-skill communities, or a less punishing wipe. |
hardcore |
Vanilla Rust with many features disabled or limited. | A deliberately restrictive, high-difficulty community ruleset. |
primitive |
A restricted-items mode built around an era in which high-tech knowledge has been lost. | Servers focused on basic weapons, tools, and low-tech progression. |
An empty value means the default mode on hosts that expose a blank game-mode field. For predictable behavior, enter vanilla explicitly rather than relying on a blank field.
Before changing the setting
Schedule the change around a wipe
Changing the game mode can completely reset player data. Treat the operation as a wipe-affecting change: announce it, back up anything you need to retain, and make the change when you are already starting a fresh wipe. Players can lose bases, inventories, blueprints, statistics, or other stored progress when the host applies the new mode.
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Stop the server cleanly
Do not edit startup settings while the process is still running and assume the current instance will reload them. Stop the server from the host panel or service manager, wait until it reports that the process has exited, and then edit the configuration. A clean stop reduces the chance of a save being interrupted and makes it clear which settings the next launch will read.
Record the current configuration
- Write down the current mode and wipe date.
- Copy the existing startup arguments or make a backup of
server.cfg. - Tell moderators which mode is being enabled and when the restart will occur.
- Check whether an automated wipe task will overwrite the file or startup line during the same maintenance window.
Method 1: Set the mode in startup arguments
Startup arguments are the most common option on a dedicated server or a hosting panel that exposes command-line settings. Add the mode declaration to the server’s launch command:
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+server.gamemode softcoreReplace softcore with the required value. Examples:
| Desired mode | Startup argument |
|---|---|
| Vanilla | +server.gamemode vanilla |
| Softcore | +server.gamemode softcore |
| Hardcore | +server.gamemode hardcore |
| Primitive | +server.gamemode primitive |
Typical panel procedure
- Stop the Rust server.
- Open the server’s startup, launch, or command-line settings.
- Find the field commonly labelled Additional Arguments or an equivalent startup-arguments field.
- Add
+server.gamemode <name>, replacing<name>with one valid mode. - Save the setting.
- Start or restart the server.
- Join after the startup has completed and verify that the intended rules are active.
Panel labels and layouts change, so look for the field that is passed directly to the server launch command rather than a general description or server-name field.
Method 2: Set the mode in server.cfg
If your server loads a configuration file at startup, place the convar on its own line:
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server.gamemode softcoreThe equivalent lines for the other modes are:
server.gamemode vanilla
server.gamemode hardcore
server.gamemode primitiveEditing procedure
- Stop the server completely.
- Open the
server.cfgfile used by that instance. The exact folder is host- and installation-dependent. - Add one
server.gamemodeline, or replace the existing line. - Save the file as plain text, preserving the spelling and punctuation of the convar.
- Start the server and wait for the startup process to finish.
- Connect and test the ruleset in-game.
Do not put a leading plus sign in server.cfg; the plus sign belongs to the startup-argument form. Conversely, do not paste a configuration-file line into a panel field that expects command-line arguments.
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Define the mode in startup arguments or in server.cfg, not both. Having two declarations creates an avoidable conflict: an administrator may edit one value while the other continues to force a different mode, and the effective value can depend on how the host assembles its launch command and loads files.
- Use startup arguments when your provider manages the launch command or offers an Additional Arguments field.
- Use
server.cfgwhen you manage the installation directly and already keep server convars in that file. - When migrating, remove the old declaration after copying its value to the new location, then perform a full restart.
If a panel has a dedicated game-mode selector as well as an Additional Arguments field, treat the selector as another possible source of the same setting. Keep a single authoritative value and remove duplicate entries wherever the panel permits it.
Can you change the mode without restarting?
Rust also exposes a runtime command:
gamemode.set <name>This command can change the mode of a running instance when executed through the server console or an administrative console that accepts Rust commands. It is useful for controlled administration, but it does not replace setting the persistent startup configuration. After using it, make the same value authoritative in either startup arguments or server.cfg and restart during the planned maintenance window. Otherwise, the next launch may read a different value.
Because a mode change can affect player data, avoid experimenting with the runtime command on a live wipe. Test it on a disposable server or use it only when the resulting reset and rule change have already been announced.
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What each Rust game mode changes
Vanilla
vanilla is the default gameplay mode. Choose it when you want the ordinary Rust progression and do not want the additional restrictions or recovery rules associated with the other modes.
Softcore
softcore keeps the vanilla foundation but changes several consequences of failure. The documented limits are:
- Maximum team size: four players.
- On death, players keep 50% of their inventory.
- On death, players keep 50% of their hotbar.
- Player-versus-player damage is reduced by 25%.
The reclaim fractions are controlled by these convars, whose documented defaults are:
| Convar | Default | Controls |
|---|---|---|
gamemodesoftcore.reclaim_fraction_belt |
0.5 |
Fraction of the belt/hotbar reclaimed after death. |
gamemodesoftcore.reclaim_fraction_main |
0.5 |
Fraction of the main inventory reclaimed after death. |
gamemodesoftcore.reclaim_fraction_wear |
0 |
Fraction of worn items reclaimed after death. |
Those values explain why “keeping half your gear” does not mean every category is treated identically: worn items have a documented default of zero.
Hardcore
hardcore is intended to disable or limit many vanilla features. Availability requires particular caution. Facepunch shut down its official Hardcore servers in November 2023, and the last Hardcore update listed on the Rust Wiki is from September 2022. The wiki information may therefore lag later patches, even though community servers can still use the hardcore setting and later Facepunch news has mentioned additional hardcore convars.
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Before advertising a Hardcore wipe, test the current build on your own server and document the exact restrictions your players will encounter. Do not promise that a historical official Hardcore feature list is unchanged on every current patch.
Primitive
primitive represents a distant future in which high-tech knowledge has been lost. The mode restricts progression to basic items and is appropriate for a deliberately low-technology ruleset. Verify the behavior after each major game update because item availability and restrictions can change with patches.
How to verify the new mode
A successful restart only proves that the process launched; it does not prove that the intended value won. Verify both the configuration source and the in-game behavior.
- Reopen the startup-arguments page or
server.cfgand confirm that the intended value is present exactly once. - Check the startup output, if your host exposes a console or log, for the server’s convar initialization and for configuration errors.
- Join the server with an administrator account after the restart.
- Check a mode-specific behavior appropriate to the selected mode. For Softcore, review the four-player team limit or the death-reclaim behavior; for Primitive or Hardcore, test a restriction that your server community understands.
- Ask a second moderator to confirm the result before announcing the wipe as complete.
If you cannot establish the effective value from the panel or logs, do not infer it from the server name. A name such as “Hardcore” is only a label and can remain unchanged when the underlying convar is wrong.
Troubleshooting a mode that will not change
The server keeps starting in the old mode
- Stop the server and search both startup arguments and
server.cfgfor every occurrence ofserver.gamemode. - Remove the stale declaration so only one location remains.
- Check for a host-panel game-mode selector that silently regenerates startup arguments.
- Save the panel form, then perform a full stop and start rather than an in-game map or process reload.
The panel rejects the entry
Use only the four documented values: vanilla, softcore, hardcore, or primitive. In a command-line field include the leading +; in server.cfg omit it. Remove quotation marks, commas, and explanatory text from the value.
The server starts but the rules do not match
First confirm that you edited the configuration for the correct server instance. Hosts may expose several installations, branches, or profiles. Then check whether another plugin or administrative configuration is applying a runtime change after startup. Temporarily test with one authoritative mode declaration and no duplicate override, and compare the result after a fresh restart.
Players report lost progress
Stop further changes and identify the backup or wipe snapshot created before the mode switch. Because mode changes can reset player data, recovery depends on the host’s backup system and on whether the old save still exists. Do not promise restoration until you have confirmed that a usable backup is available.
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Hardcore behavior differs from expectations
Use the current server build as the reference, not an old guide written for the former official Hardcore servers. Record which restrictions you tested, communicate them to players, and treat the wiki’s older status information as historical context rather than a guarantee of current behavior.
A safe change checklist
- Choose the mode and announce the wipe timing.
- Back up the current configuration and player data if your host supports it.
- Stop the server.
- Set
server.gamemode <name>inserver.cfgor+server.gamemode <name>in startup arguments. - Remove duplicate declarations from the other location.
- Save the configuration and restart the server.
- Confirm the effective mode from logs, configuration, and in-game behavior.
- Only then open the wipe to players.
Recommended choices by server goal
| Goal | Mode to consider | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Rust progression | vanilla |
It is the default ruleset. |
| Lower-punishment community server | softcore |
Team size is capped at four, death reclaim is partial, and PVP damage is 25% lower. |
| Restrictive challenge server | hardcore |
Official Hardcore servers ended in November 2023; test current behavior before advertising features. |
| Low-technology event or wipe | primitive |
Progression centers on basic items rather than high-tech equipment. |
Key points to remember
The setting you need is server.gamemode. Use one persistent configuration path, restart after changing it, and verify the result before players return. The mode is not merely a server-list label: it changes rules and can reset player data, so a mode switch belongs in a planned wipe procedure rather than an unannounced mid-wipe experiment.
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