Facepunch Studios is pulling back the curtain on its relentless war against Rust cheaters, and it's more high-tech than most players realize. In a recent X thread, COO Alistair McFarlane explained how the team monitors suspects "like we're playing an RTS game," logging every gunshot, chat message, dropped item, and interaction for live viewing or playback even when admins aren't online. The post, quoting cheaters who log off upon admin logins, underscores a cat-and-mouse dynamic where Facepunch stays one step ahead.
McFarlane elaborated in replies on the thread: Player reports feed into automated systems that analyze behavior, triggering bans immediately or delayed to avoid detection. High-report accounts get priority manual review by dedicated staff. This layered approach keeps servers cleaner without relying solely on real-time oversight, a boon for Rust's massive official and community-hosted worlds.
Rust's cheating epidemic has plagued the survival game since its 2013 alpha. Aimbots, speed hacks, and wallhacks ruin raids and bases, with Facepunch previously calling the "cheat community" toxic enough to harass devs. It's why Linux/Steam Deck support stalled: Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) struggles there. The logging system, powered by server-side telemetry, lets investigators rewind suspicious plays like footage review in sports, spotting unnatural headshots or impossible loot hauls.This revelation ties into last week's major anti-cheat upgrade: optional Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 requirements, server-enforceable soon and likely mandatory later. These hardware checks verify boot integrity and platform security, blocking rootkits and unsigned drivers common in cheats. Facepunch framed it as essential for fair play, though it sparked debate with players as some hail it as overdue, others gripe over older PCs or privacy.
Here are some of the Anti-Cheat features they revealed:
- Interaction Logging - Records all actions (shots, drops, chats) for replay/live view
- Automated Analysis - Reports trigger behavior scans; instant/delayed bans
- Manual Review - Staff prioritizes high-report suspects
- Secure Boot/TPM - Hardware verification against cheats; opt-in now
- EAC Integration - Kernel-level detection + F7 reports
Community response leans positive among legit players. X users praised the RTS analogy as "next level," with streamers eyeing cheater-hunt broadcasts. Reddit threads on r/playrust celebrate fewer hackers post-updates. Cheaters, predictably, rage as McFarlane once noted their threats. Luckily with all the work being put in, cheaters are getting a small taste of what they deserve.
Facepunch's transparency reassures amid the arms race. Vague details protect against workarounds, but the message is clear: nowhere to hide. With Rust's 12-year run and monthly wipes drawing millions, these tools preserve the brutal sandbox. As Secure Boot rolls out, expect cleaner servers with a hopefully less cheaters. Have you tried the new sailing update on Rust yet?