How To Enable Hardcore Mode On Your Rust Server

Edit (April 2026): Facepunch shut down their official Hardcore servers in November 2023, and the mode has not received updates since September 2022, so Hardcore is effectively in maintenance-only status now. The steps below still work on community servers. Also – server.gamemode hardcore is the canonical convar for server.cfg; the older gamemode.set hardcore form shown below still works at runtime, but server.gamemode is the cleaner form.

Steps to enable hardcore mode on your server

Via server.cfg

1. Navigate to your server on the control panel
2. Click on [Configuration Files] on the left hand side
3. Open server.cfg
4. Modify or add a new line: gamemode.set hardcore
5. Hit Save & Exit and restart your server

Via Commandline Manager

1. Navigate to your server on the control panel
2. Click on [Commandline Manager] on the left hand side
3. Click 'Select' or 'Selected' on your chosen Commandline and in the Additional Parameters enter: +server.gamemode hardcore
4. Restart your server

Order your Rust servers now

RUST Hardcore game mode changes:

• Disabled Rust+ Companion App and forcing complete anonymity and map information restriction on third-party player resources (encrypted maps)
• Removed the crawling feature from the Wounded system, reverting to players downed becoming completely prone and vulnerable
• Removed the Contact system entirely
• Removed the Team system entirely
• Removed the MLRS system entirely
• Removed the Mission system and removed NPCs
• Removed Drone Marketplaces from Outpost and Bandit Camp monuments
• Adds a limit of 5 sleeping bags or beds per character, per server – players may still give bags to others, but 1 bag slot will always be reserved to be placed by a player
• Removed navigational features such as the in-game map and compass
• Removed safe zone status – enter at your own risk.
• Removed safe zone hostility and the indicator icon located in the top right window corner
• Death screens transparency altered
• Redacted seed information from the F1 Info panel
• Disabled console commands: printpos, printrot, printhead, printeyes & printinput
• The Hardcore server tag has been made searchable in the server browser.
• Global chat was replaced with Local chat, visible to players within a 100-meter limit.
• Player blueprints are force wiped every first Thursday of the month.
• The scrap cost to unlock blueprints in the Tech Tree is increased.