How to Change the PvP Setting on Your Rust Server

By default, Rust is a PvP-focused game where players can attack and kill each other freely. If you want to run a more cooperative or beginner-friendly server, you may want to adjust or disable PvP. The RiverHosting panel gives you an easy way to change this setting without editing any files by hand.

Before you start

• Make sure your Rust server is set up and has started at least once.
• You will need access to your server in the RiverHosting panel.
• Changing PvP settings usually requires a server restart to take effect.

1. How to change the PvP setting from the Server Config page

The easiest way to adjust PvP on your Rust server is through the built-in Server Config page in the panel. Here is how to do it:

1. Log in to the RiverHosting panel.
2. Click on your Rust server from the server list.
3. In the left-hand menu, click Server Config.
4. Look for the PvP or player damage setting. This controls whether players can deal damage to each other.
5. Toggle or update the setting to match what you want for your server.
6. Click Save to apply your changes.
7. Restart your server so the new setting takes effect. You can do this from the main server page by clicking Restart.

2. How to verify the change using the Console

After restarting your server, you can confirm the PvP setting is active by checking the Console.

1. In the left-hand menu, click Console.
2. Wait for the server to finish starting up. You will see log lines appear as it loads.
3. Once the server is running, you can type a server command into the console input field to verify the current PvP state if needed.

Troubleshooting

• The setting does not seem to be working after saving. Make sure you restarted the server after saving the change. Some settings only apply on startup.
• Players can still damage each other after disabling PvP. Check whether a plugin or mod currently installed on your server is overriding the setting. Review your active plugins on the Plugins page.
• The Server Config page does not show a PvP option. The available options depend on your server setup and any active framework or plugin layer. If the option is missing, try using the RCON page to apply the setting as a server command instead.
• Changes are lost after a restart. If you used RCON to change the setting live but did not save it in Server Config, the change will not persist. Always update the Server Config page to make the change permanent.

Need help?

If you run into any issues changing the PvP settings on your Rust server, the RiverHosting support team is happy to help.