Rust’s Nuclear Missile Silo: More Than Meets the Eye?

We’ve got some fresh intel on Rust’s new monument, the Nuclear Missile Silo, which is currently live for testing on the aux02 Branch. Intertested in trying it out to test? Check out our first article covering the monument (Rust: Nuclear Missile Silo Development & Beta Testing) which includes a how-to guide on loading into aux02!. Now before you get too excited, remember that this bad boy is still subject to change, so don’t take everything I say as gospel. But with that in mind, let’s dive in!

The Mysterious Monument

So the Nuclear Missile Silo monument looks like it’ll be hitting the game in the force wipe patch, possibly in May. What’s interesting is that it could have some pretty significant implications for Rust’s lore and might be more than just a glorified run-in monument.

The monument itself is primarily underground, boasting six subterranean levels, with its centerpiece being an actual nuke. Now, whether this nuke is functional or serves a purpose in the game remains to be confirmed, but there’s definitely some buzz around it, especially after reading some of the recent commits mentioning “Big Bang” read more on that in our previous article: Rust’s “Big Bang”: Recent Updates to the Nuclear Missile Silo Monument.

What Lies Beneath?

When you spot the monument on the map, it doesn’t appear large from the surface – just a bunch of cabins, hangers, guard towers, and a tall communications antenna. But once you venture underground, that’s where the real action is. There are multiple levels to explore, featuring various hallways, control rooms, living quarters, and computer rooms.

At the moment, the monument is incomplete, pending working puzzles, loot spawns, key cards, radiation, or NPCs. However, a new species of scientists does appear to be taking place on this monument very soon judging from the new model. Will they only appear here, or will they show up elsewhere too? We shall see.

The Countdown Begins

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the Nuclear Missile Silo is the possibility of an in-game wipe event tied to the monument. Computer screens throughout the site display mentions of a countdown, and the development team has been dropping subtle hints on Twitter, with messages like “Cobalt 60 Warhead armed, countdown initiated.” as some have already cracked from the tweet below!

₆₇ ₁₁₁ ₅₄ ₄₈ ₃₂ ₈₇ ₉₇ ₁₁₄ ₁₀₄ ₁₀₁ ₉₇ ₁₀₀ ₃₂ ₆₅ ₁₁₄ ₁₀₉ ₁₀₁ ₁₀₀ ₄₆ ₃₂ ₆₇ ₁₁₁ ₁₁₇ ₁₁₀ ₁₁₆ ₁₀₀ ₁₁₁ ₁₁₉ ₁₁₀ ₃₂ ₁₀₅ ₁₁₀ ₁₀₅ ₁₁₆ ₁₀₅ ₉₇ ₁₁₆ ₁₀₁ ₁₀₀ ₄₆ pic.twitter.com/A5ZFP9LrBa

— Patrick Mazzolo (@paddymazz) April 21, 2023

So, what could this event be? We’ll have to wait and see!

Final Thoughts

That’s all the intel we have for today. Just remember that everything we’ve mentioned here is still “subject to change” as put by our good friend Shadowfrax, so don’t get too attached to any specific details. But one thing’s for sure: the Nuclear Missile Silo monument is shaping up to be an exciting addition to Rust, and I can’t wait to see what the devs have in store for us. Until then, keep calm and stay Rusty!