Rust Update: New Hardware Requirements to Ban Cheaters Revealed
If you have played Rust, you know the pain. You spend hours farming scrap, building your base, and sweating over every noise outside your walls. Then, you get instantly headshot by someone flying across the map. It ruins the adrenaline completely.
Facepunch is aware of the frustration, and they are finally taking drastic measures to stop it.
Facepunch Drops the Hammer on Cheaters
The world of Rust is brutal enough without unfair advantages. It is a game where trust is rare and survival is earned by the minute. But when you throw hackers into the mix—folks using aimbots or wallhacks—it stops being a survival game. It just feels like a waste of time.
For years, the “cheat community” has plagued official and community servers alike. Now, Facepunch COO Alistair McFarlane has announced a massive update on X (Twitter) that signals a major shift.
Starting in March, server owners can flip a switch to restrict access. If you want to play on these secure servers, you will need Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 enabled.
It is not mandatory for everyone just yet, but the developers are clearly moving in that direction.
Rust: We’re continuing to strengthen our anti-cheat efforts. From March, server owners will be able to opt in and only allow connections to players who have Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 enabled.
— Alistair McFarlane (@Alistair_McF) January 31, 2026
We know not everyone is on hardware that supports Secure Boot or TPM 2.0, which is why… pic.twitter.com/6l9RY4h1Fm
TPM 2.0 & Secure Boot: What You Need to Know
This moves Rust in line with other competitive heavy hitters like Valorant or the latest Call of Duty titles. Essentially, these technologies harden your PC against the software cheaters use to inject code into the game.
Here is the breakdown of the rollout:
- March Start: Server owners get an “Opt-In” toggle. They can choose to ban anyone without these security features enabled.
- The Future: Facepunch is monitoring the data. McFarlane was clear: they expect to make this mandatory across all servers eventually.
It is a bold move. While most modern PCs (especially Windows 11 systems) have this standard, it leaves some older rigs in a tough spot. Linux and Proton users also face challenges. As McFarlane noted, supporting Linux often conflicts with strict anti-cheat measures due to the open nature of the OS.
Also learn more about the incredible new Player Count reached by Rust for the 11th Anniversary!
Verdict: Is A Cleaner Rust Worth The Hardware Hike?
The community is split on the decision. On one hand, you have Reddit users arguing that anyone upset by the change is likely cheating, pushing for a clean game at all costs. On the other hand, legitimate players on older hardware feel they are being priced out of their favorite hobby, in an already pretty hostile climate due to memory shortage.
Rust is evolving into a strictly competitive environment. If this tech clears out even half the cheaters, the silence in the chat might be worth it.
Are you ready to upgrade your rig for a cheater-free wipe, or does this lock you out of the server?
A video game enthusiast ever since I first got my hands on a Game Boy. Over the years, I've played many different games across various genres, discovering hidden gems and niche titles along the way. I'm also passionate about technology, always up-to-date with the latest news and insight in the PC and Console market. Ready to share and bring you the latest news !
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