Rust Staging Server HostingRust Staging Server Hosting
Run Facepunch's staging branch on your own box and try the next Rust update before it reaches your live server, your plugins or your players.
Choose your Game Server
Select from our wide range of optimized game servers. Each server is configured for maximum performance and comes with DDoS protection.
1. Plan Type
2. Location
3. Choose Plan
Gold 8GB
Platinum 10GB
Diamond 12GB
Emerald 16GB
Xtreme 32GB
Which Rust Staging Plan Is Right for You?
Compare recommended use, plan hardware and monthly prices.
| Plan | Recommended for | Hardware | Monthly price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold 8GB | Solo developer or a 2–5 person test groupPlenty for plugin compile checks and mechanic tests on a small map; the economical start. | 4 vCore Ryzen 9950X · 8 GB DDR5 6000MHz · 70 GB NVMe SSD Samsung 990 PRO | ₺440.00/mo |
| Platinum 10GB | Plugin bundle testing, 5–15 playersRoom to run most of your live server's plugin list on staging at the same time. | 4 vCore Ryzen 9950X · 10 GB DDR5 6000MHz · 100 GB NVMe SSD Samsung 990 PRO | ₺530.00/mo |
| Diamond 12GB | Realistic performance checks, 15–30 playersTesting on resources close to live lets you pin down what actually causes a slowdown. | 4 vCore Ryzen 9950X · 12 GB DDR5 6000MHz · 110 GB NVMe SSD Samsung 990 PRO | ₺617.50/mo |
| Emerald 16GB | Custom map or community test nightSix vCores handle large maps and busy test sessions without strain. | 6 vCore Ryzen 9950X · 16 GB DDR5 6000MHz · 120 GB NVMe SSD Samsung 990 PRO | ₺840.00/mo |
| Xtreme 32GB | Large-scale load testing, 50+ testersFor big communities that want to try an update under near-live conditions. | 12 vCore Ryzen 9950X · 32 GB DDR5 6000MHz · 200 GB NVMe SSD Samsung 990 PRO | ₺1520.00/mo |
Why TheCrewHost for Rust Staging?
The staging branch changes often and occasionally breaks; this server keeps that uncertainty well away from your live one.
Official staging branch
The server installs from the staging beta branch of Rust Dedicated Server on SteamCMD, so you run the exact build Facepunch publishes for testing.
Built for frequent updates
When the staging client updates, the server has to follow. A restart pulls the new build and clears the protocol mismatch quickly.
Carbon's staging build
Carbon publishes a dedicated build for the staging branch. Install it to run your plugins against the upcoming update in a modded environment.
Sandboxed from production
A crash, a corrupted save or a broken plugin on staging never touches your main server, so you can experiment without risking anyone's progress.
CPU headroom for test builds
Test builds often ship unoptimized code. High single-thread speed on the Ryzen 9 9950X gives you realistic numbers on new monuments and systems.
Debug from console and RCON
Watch server logs live in the panel console or over WebRCON, try new convars and catch plugin compile errors the moment they appear.
Rust Staging server hosting starts at $11.00 (₺440.00) per month and gives you a test environment running Rust's official staging branch, fully separate from your live server. Facepunch pushes upcoming changes to staging first, so you see new mechanics, new structures and balance passes before they go live. Plugin developers check their code there, server owners rework configs and loot settings, and map makers test custom maps before forced wipe arrives. The server runs in İstanbul on a Ryzen 9 9950X with NVMe storage, so your testers in Türkiye and nearby regions connect over a short route using the staging client.
What is a Rust Staging server, and who needs one?
Staging is the public test branch Facepunch maintains for Rust. New structures, weapon and item changes, monument reworks and performance changes for the next monthly update usually land on staging first and reach the live branch with the first-Thursday update. A staging server runs the server side of that branch under your control.
Four groups get real value from it. Plugin developers want to know whether their .cs files still compile against the new game code. Community server owners want to rethink loot rates, decay settings and rules around new systems ahead of time. Custom map makers need to check how new prefabs and monuments behave on their maps. Content creators and clans want a private space to learn new mechanics before everyone else.
Think of staging as a test bench, not a place to host a community. Progress is not persistent, builds change often and sometimes ship with bugs. For a server your players will live on for weeks, see our standard Rust hosting page; for testing, you are in the right place.
How do players connect to a staging server?
The regular Rust client cannot join a staging server. Each tester needs Rust - Staging Branch, which shows up as a separate app in their Steam library. Anyone who owns Rust can install it at no extra cost; it installs into its own folder and never interferes with the live game.
With the staging client running, the most reliable way in is the F1 console: type client.connect IP:port using the address from your panel. The staging client has its own server browser too, but for test servers, sharing a direct connect line is usually simpler.
Version mismatch is the most common problem. When Facepunch updates the staging client and your server is still on the previous build, players get a protocol warning and cannot connect; restarting the server so it pulls the new build usually fixes it. If the server is already current and a tester still cannot join, the issue is on their end and Steam needs to update their staging client. Explaining that distinction to your test group up front saves a lot of back-and-forth.
Do Oxide or Carbon plugins work on staging?
Short answer: with Carbon, yes; with Oxide, there are no guarantees. Staging runs different game code from live, so framework builds compiled for the live branch may not load cleanly. Oxide/uMod does not ship an official staging build, and running it on staging means manual patching with unpredictable results.
Carbon, on the other hand, publishes a separate build specifically for the staging branch. It exists to let you test upcoming updates in a modded environment, and it is openly flagged as potentially unstable. Once it is installed, upload your plugins to carbon/plugins and watch the console to see which compile and which throw errors. Since Carbon runs most Oxide plugins, this also works as an early warning for servers that use Oxide on live.
A good habit is copying your live server's plugin list and config files to the staging server over SFTP. That way you know in advance which plugins will need an update on forced wipe day, instead of finding out at 9 p.m. with a full server waiting.
How should you handle staging updates and wipes?
The staging branch can update many times in a month, sometimes with more than one build in a single day. Maintenance on a staging server follows a different rhythm from live: when you see the client update, restarting the server to pick up the new build is routine.
Save compatibility is not guaranteed. After a significant change, an old map or .sav file may fail to load with the new build. The fastest fix is to delete the map and save files in the identity folder and boot on a clean map. Progress on staging is disposable anyway, and your testers should know that.
A smaller world speeds everything up. A worldsize somewhere between 2000 and 3000 means the server regenerates the map much faster after each clean start. Locking the seed gives you the identical island every time, so you can compare a monument or mechanic across builds one-to-one. Take a backup from the panel before you break a test setup you spent time building.
How much RAM does a staging test server need?
Staging servers rarely have many players, so memory needs come down to map size and what you are testing rather than player count. For a solo plugin developer or a small group exploring new content, Gold 8GB runs a small or mid-sized map comfortably.
If you want to clone your live server's plugin load and measure performance, Platinum 10GB or Diamond 12GB gives more realistic results; otherwise you cannot tell whether a slowdown comes from the staging build or from a lack of resources. Testing a large custom map or running a community test night fits the six-vCore Emerald 16GB, and Xtreme 32GB covers large-scale load testing.
Keep in mind that test builds sometimes use more resources than the eventual live release, since optimization often lands in the final weeks before an update. High memory usage on staging will not necessarily carry over to live one-for-one, but it is still a useful hint for how much headroom your main server should have next month.
How to Set Up a Rust Staging Server
- 1
Choose a plan for what you plan to test
Gold 8GB covers solo plugin testing; pick Diamond 12GB or Emerald 16GB if you will mirror your live plugin load or test a large custom map.
- 2
Check out and let the staging build install
Once payment is confirmed, the server installs automatically from the SteamCMD staging branch and becomes available at gamepanel.hostingmerkezi.net.
- 3
Set a compact world and a fixed seed
Keep worldsize modest for testing and lock the seed if you want to compare builds; give the server a name that clearly marks it as a test server.
- 4
Install Carbon's staging build if you need mods
For modded testing, add the Carbon build published for the staging branch, then copy your live plugins and configs across over SFTP.
- 5
Make yourself owner and hook up RCON
Save your admin rights with ownerid and server.writecfg in the console, set an rcon.password and start following logs live in your WebRCON tool.
- 6
Invite testers on the staging client
Testers install Rust - Staging Branch from their Steam library and join by typing client.connect IP:port in the F1 console.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions from people running a test server on Rust's staging branch.
How much does a Rust Staging server cost?
Can I join a staging server with the normal Rust client?
Which plan is enough for a staging server?
Can I use Oxide plugins on staging?
How long does setup take?
Why are my testers getting a protocol error?
The server will not start after a staging update. What now?
Can I back up my test setup?
Does a test server need DDoS protection?
Can I scale my staging server up later?
İstanbul Location,
Maximum Performance
Our İstanbul datacenter runs on Ryzen 9 hardware, delivering low latency to players in Türkiye and good connectivity to Europe, the Middle East and the Caucasus.
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