Facepunch Studios has outlined a series of updates for Rust scheduled for the final quarter of the year, with a notable addition focusing on animal gameplay and the introduction of farming mechanics. Future updates will bring dogs, decorative animals, new species, enhanced animal artificial intelligence, and a comprehensive breeding system that will allow players to raise their own livestock and establish farms.
These new features are already available for early testing on Rust's staging branch. Players can access the livestock update by navigating to the game's staging branch options, selecting 'Game Versions & Betas,' and entering the private password 'livestock2026' to opt into the AUX01 staging branch. On this test build, players can interact with assets for animals such as cows, goats, and sheep, which can be acquired from non-player characters similarly to horses.
Once obtained, players can raise these animals, breed them to improve genetic traits, and eventually slaughter them for resources like meat, animal fat, cloth, and leather. Each animal's well-being is tied to its access to grass, water, and its herd. Players can lead bonded animals, and building a relationship through the game's friendship system, which progresses from 'Stranger' to 'Herd,' will reduce an animal's aggressiveness towards its caretaker. The friendship levels are currently outlined as Stranger, Knows You, Tolerated, Bonded, and Herd, with an animal becoming part of the player's herd upon reaching maximum friendship.
To secure their livestock, players can construct enclosures using new fence and gate assets, protecting them from hostile wildlife. The breeding system appears to be a complex element of the update, where animal genders and genetics will play a crucial role in creating offspring with desirable traits, akin to the genetics-focused farming of hemp, vegetables, and berries currently in the game.