How the Rust Backpack Update Affects Server Wipes

How the Rust Backpack Update Affects Server Wipes

Facepunch's introduction of usable player backpacks as a core inventory mechanic changes how item hoarding works in Rust — and, consequently, how server administrators must think about their wipe strategy. Backpacks are not a cosmetic addition: they represent a genuine increase in per-player item persistence that the server must track, store, and appropriately flush during wipe cycles.

How Backpack Data Is Stored

Rust stores all player persistent data — including the backpack inventory — in a SQLite database file:

/server/[identity]/player.db

Within this database, backpack contents are stored in the player_backpack table, keyed by each player's 64-bit Steam ID. This is distinct from the player_inventory table that manages worn armour and belt items.

Wipe Types and Backpack Behaviour

On a full wipe (Facepunch's monthly forced wipe), the entire player.db is deleted along with the map seeds, so backpack data is naturally cleared. The issue arises on biweekly or custom wipe schedules where the map resets but player.db is kept intact for blueprint preservation.

Purging Backpack Data on Custom Wipe Cycles

If you run a custom wipe that preserves blueprints, you need to explicitly clear backpack data from player.db using SQLite:

Option A — Delete only the backpack table (preserve BPs)

# Stop your server first!
sudo systemctl stop rust-server

# Open the database with sqlite3:
sqlite3 /server/[identity]/player.db

# Inside SQLite CLI:
DELETE FROM player_backpack;
.quit

# Restart the server:
sudo systemctl start rust-server

Option B — Full wipe (delete entire player.db)

# Stop server first:
sudo systemctl stop rust-server

# Delete the entire database (wipes BPs too):
rm /server/[identity]/player.db

# Rust will regenerate a fresh player.db on next startup:
sudo systemctl start rust-server

Option C — Automated via Oxide/uMod Plugin

Several popular Oxide plugins can hook into your wipe event and automatically clear backpack tables. The Backpack plugin by Ox on uMod includes a wipe config option:

# In Backpack plugin config (oxide/config/Backpack.json):
{
  "Clear Backpacks on Map Wipe": true,
  "Clear Backpacks on Full Wipe": true
}

Performance Impact on Large Servers

Each backpack represents an additional entity the server must write to disk during saves. On high-population servers (200+ players), backpack serialization adds measurable overhead to the autosave cycle. Mitigate this by:

• Setting server.saveinterval 600 (10 minutes) instead of the default 60 seconds to reduce save frequency
• Using a NVMe SSD for the server data directory to minimize I/O wait during save operations
• Limiting backpack slots via the Backpack plugin config to reduce per-player serialization size

Raiding Implications for Server Admins

Backpacks dropped on death now represent a physical loot bag that persists for 5 minutes by default before despawning. On high-action PvP servers, this can create ground item saturation during large raid events. Adjust via:

# In server.cfg:
server.corpseduration 300    # Body bag despawn time (default: 300 seconds)
server.dropitems 1           # 1 = drop all items on death (default)

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