In early 2018, Facepunch Studios officially removed the "Early Access" label. This transition brought several structural changes to how the game was developed and maintained:
The 2018 updates focused heavily on expanding the world and adding more complex tools for survival and raiding. Leaving Early Access soon | Rust update 26th Jan 2018 RUST ONLINE V2377(2018)
: The development cycle shifted from weekly patches to one large monthly update to improve game stability. In early 2018, Facepunch Studios officially removed the