Clans in Rust: Creating and Running One — 2026 Guide (Common Ground Update)

Introduction

Before July 2026, "clans" in Rust were a do-it-yourself affair: teams capped at 8 players, and big groups existed as a pile of overlapping teams with no shared chat, managed through Discord and server plugins. The Common Ground update (2 July 2026) changed all of that: Facepunch added a real clan system with a Clan Table, roles and permissions. Clans are now an official game mechanic, and they are reshaping the meta.

This guide covers everything about clans in Rust 2026: how to create one, how to run it, what the roles and permissions do, and how to organize your bank, logistics and wipe day. Data from rustly.com, battlehorns.net, hostedgg.com and r/playrust.

What the Common Ground update changed

Key additions:

• Clan Table — a craftable table, the clan equivalent of a Tool Cupboard.
• Up to 100 members in a single clan.
• Roles and permissions — the leader hands out authority.
• A separate clan chat.
• Message of the day (MOTD) — for coordination.
• Clanmates are visible on the map.

The old team system (8-player limit) has been replaced by clans.

Clan Table: how to create a clan

The Clan Table is cheap on purpose: 200 wood + 100 metal fragments, 30 sec craft, researched at workbench 1. Facepunch wants clans to exist within the first hour of a wipe.

Where to get one:

1. Craft it yourself (WB1).
2. Free Clan Tables sit at Outpost (by the Research Table) and Bandit Camp (by the stairs) — so you can found a clan on wipe day before you even build a base.

Creating it: place the Clan Table, interact with it — create the clan, invite members.

Roles and permissions: the big difference from teams

Roles and permissions are the main difference from the old team system: the leader hands out authority without giving away everything at once.

• A recruiter can accept new members but cannot disband the clan.
• Permissions are tuned to the job: who can build, who can spend from the bank, who can call a raid.
• Facepunch is still tweaking the role list — check the current one in game.

Why it matters: in the old system "everyone is equal" meant "anyone can do anything". Now a clan is a hierarchy with a separation of powers, like a real organization.

What a clan can do

• Clan chat — a separate channel visible to every member.
• MOTD — the message of the day: how you coordinate a raid window or a wipe-day plan without Discord.
• Map: you can see clanmates nearby — no more shouting grid coordinates after a fight.
• The Clan Table acts as a status marker in the world — clans are now physically visible.

Limitation: the clan system does NOT work in hardcore mode (no map and no compass).

Should you create a clan?

The community verdict:

• From ~6 players up — place one immediately (it costs less than a sheet metal door).
• A trio is worth it too, just for the chat and the map markers.
• For solos this is rather bad news — zergs will be better organized. But clans are now visible in the world (a physical object) — play small, play quiet.

Running a clan: proven practices

Classic organizational advice (from Reddit, still valid with the clan system):

The bank

• Keep the bank in a separate protected room, behind 2-3 doors, with its own TC.
• Bank access goes only to trusted roles (the treasurers).
• Do not keep all your boom in one place: part in the bank, part in stashes.

Ranks and trust

• Rank people by trust level: recruit → member → veteran → officer → leader.
• Permissions grow with trust: a recruit can build but does not touch the bank.
• The clan system automates this with roles — use it.

Wipe-day logistics

• Plan wipe day in advance: who farms, who builds, who does PvP.
• MOTD is the perfect tool: everyone sees the plan when they log in.
• Resource roles: 2 farmers, 1 builder, 1 PvP squad — assign by strengths.

Apartment complex (the new Common Ground monument)

The update added an apartment complex — a new monument with room rentals, shops, a clan table and raid windows. It changes the urban side of the game: clans can "live" in the complex by renting rooms.

Clan numbers

FAQ

How do I create a clan in Rust 2026?

Craft a Clan Table (200 wood + 100 metal, WB1) or use a free one at Outpost/Bandit Camp. Place it, create the clan, invite members.

How much does a Clan Table cost?

200 wood + 100 metal fragments — cheaper than a sheet metal door. Facepunch deliberately made it cheap so clans appear within the first hour of a wipe.

How many people fit in a clan?

Up to 100 members (the limit of the new system). The old team system — 8 players — has been replaced.

How is a clan different from a team?

A clan is an official structure: roles and permissions, a separate chat, MOTD, map markers, up to 100 people. A team is just a group of up to 8 with no hierarchy.

Does the clan system work on hardcore servers?

No — hardcore mode has no map and no compass, so the clan system is unavailable.

Conclusion

Clans in Rust are now an official mechanic: a cheap Clan Table, roles and permissions, clan chat and MOTD — everything that used to live in Discord is now in the game. For groups of 6 or more a clan is an essential organizational tool: the bank, logistics and raid coordination all got far easier. For solos it is a warning sign: play quiet, because zergs are more organized than ever. Create your clan in the first hour of the wipe (there is a free table at Outpost), assign roles and build your economy — and your clan will become the dominant force on the server.

Sources: rustly.com (Clan System), battlehorns.net, hostedgg.com (Apartment Complex guide), corrosionhour.com (Clan System Guide), xgamingserver.com, r/playrust (how_to_organize_a_rust_clan), rust.facepunch.com/news/meta-shift 2024-2026.