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Rust’s Halloween 2026 Event Is Live With Candy Hunts, Monster Pets and Rift Portals

Players get 3 minutes per Candy Hunt, and the seasonal activities run through November 5.

Bojan Kicevski1 minute ago

0 2 2 minutes read

A lone figure stands in a dark forest beneath a glowing light in Rust Halloween artwork.

Rust’s 2026 Halloween event is live, bringing back Candy Hunts, player-built monster companions and rifts across the island. It runs through November 5, according to Facepunch’s Steam announcement. The October 22 start date had been scheduled alongside Rust’s October update.

Candy Hunts offer quick rounds and loot

About once every two in-game days, players get 3 minutes to collect candy. The top 3 earn special loot bags, which can contain rewards ranging from scrap to an M249. Candy can also be upgraded for better loot, so collecting it still pays off if you miss the podium.

Build a monster to fight at your side

Scarecrows and mummies roaming the island can drop body parts. Collect a head, torso and legs, then craft a Frankenstein’s table and place the pieces inside to create a monster companion. Pressing P wakes it and opens the pet controls. The creature follows orders, stays by its owner, defends them when attacked and helps fight chosen targets.

If the pet menu will not open or the P key is already bound, players can enter bind X +pets in the console or change the key in the in-game controls.

Rifts and seasonal items join the event

Portals have appeared across the island, but what they do and where they lead remain a mystery. Server owners can adjust how many appear with the halloweendungeon.population convar.

The limited store collection includes three wallpapers, Cultist Tile, Manor Ceiling and Derelict Wood. It also adds a Skull Wall Lamp skin for the Tuna Can Lamp and an inflatable Alien Costume with three decorative variations. The Spooky Decor Bundle combines the wallpapers and lamp skin with exclusive Halloween Wreath and Halloween String Lights.

Rust’s Base Invaders competition is scheduled for October 23 at 11 a.m. PT and 6 p.m. UTC. The Twitch Rivals Spooky Backpack drop will be available for one day, starting with the main broadcast. General drops can be earned on Rust channels through November 1. Players need to link their accounts through Facepunch’s account connection page to receive them.

A separate Discord promotion lets eligible Nitro subscribers claim a Zombie Wumpus Plush with Discord Orbs from October 22 through November 5. The deployable can be placed inside a base and provides 70% comfort when players are nearby. The Rust Game Shop listing has the plush.

Which part of Rust’s Halloween event has been your favorite so far? For more on its seasonal activities and timed drops, follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam and Telegram.

Rust is a multiplayer survival game set on a procedurally generated island where players must manage hunger, thirst, and health while contending with hostile wildlife and other players. Starting with only a rock and torch, players gather resources, craft tools, weapons, and structures, and form or fight against clans in a persistent open world that resets on a regular wipe cycle. Originally developed as a clone of DayZ with Minecraft-style crafting elements, the game spent over four years in early access before its full release in 2018.