Rust Teams and Clans: How to Create, Invite and Manage Your Crew

Last updated 9 October 2026. Checked against the Rust Wiki and Facepunch's Common Ground announcement.

How to create a Rust team

1. Open your inventory. At the bottom left is a Create Team button. Click it and the team exists, with you as leader.
2. Stand close to another player. An "invite to team" prompt appears: press E to send it.
3. They accept by clicking the Join Team option that shows in their inventory.

Team chat shares its window with global chat. Press Tab to switch between the two. Members can see each other on the map and share map markers, according to the Rust Wiki.

Team size and server rules

When Facepunch added teams in The Team Update (July 2018), the default limit was eight players per team. Server owners can change it with the relationshipmanager.maxteamsize setting, which is why "duo", "trio" and "solo-only" servers exist: they simply run a lower number. Read the server's rules before you plan a big crew, because the server's number wins over the default.

Running your own server lets you decide. On a GTX Rust server you have full config access, so team size, wipe schedule and plugins such as Oxide or Carbon are yours to set.

Team roles and permissions in Rust

There are two roles in a standard Rust team: the leader and everyone else. The leader can invite and remove members, and can promote another member to leader, which you do before you log off for a long time. That is the whole list. There is no moderator rank and no permissions tab.

That has a big consequence for your base: being on a team does not by itself open your doors or storage. Access comes from separate systems:

• Code locks and key locks decide who can open doors and boxes.
• The tool cupboard decides who can build near your base. Players must authorise on it.
• Turrets and similar deployables have their own authorisation lists.

So when someone leaves or is removed, they can still walk back in if they know your codes and are still authorised. Change your codes and clear the cupboard list after anyone leaves.

Clans: Rust's system for roles and permissions

Facepunch's Common Ground announcement (2 July 2026) added clans as "a more advanced version of teams" with more members and different roles and permissions. According to the announcement:

• Clans are created and managed at a Clan Table.
• Clans get a separate clan chat channel and an announcement or message-of-the-day text.
• Clan names show on player nameplates, and you can see nearby clan members' locations on the map.
• The clan system is disabled in hardcore mode.

The announcement doesn't spell out the individual role names, the member cap or the cost of a Clan Table, so check the Clan Table in game for the current options rather than trusting a list from a third-party site.

Informal jobs that make a crew work

The game doesn't assign these, but most successful groups split the work in a similar way. Treat it as a starting point, not a rule:

• Builders are authorised on the tool cupboard so they can place and upgrade walls and doors.
• Farmers and gatherers supply wood, stone, metal and scrap, and get access to the shared boxes where they drop loot.
• Defenders are authorised on turrets and look after the base while others are away.
• Fighters or raiders go after other bases and monuments, and carry the team's best weapons.

A small group can double up on jobs. The larger the group, the more careful you need to be with who is authorised where, since every extra code or cupboard entry is another way in for someone you later fall out with.

Removing a member

1. Open your team list in the inventory and remove the player (only the leader can).
2. Change the codes on your doors and boxes.
3. Deauthorise them on the tool cupboard and on any turrets.

Voice chat for your team

Rust has built-in voice chat. Hold V to talk (you can rebind the key in the settings), and make sure the right microphone is selected in the audio settings. In-game voice is proximity-based, so you only hear players near you. For raids, most teams also use a voice app so they can talk across the map.

Rust teams FAQ

How many players can be in a Rust team?

Eight by default. Server owners can change the limit, and many servers run smaller caps.

Can team members open my doors?

Not just by being on the team. Door and storage access comes from code locks and key locks, and base building comes from the tool cupboard.

Do Rust teams have ranks or permissions?

No, only leader and member. Clans, added on 2 July 2026, bring roles and permissions.

How do I leave a team?

Open the team panel in your inventory and choose to leave. The leader can also remove members.

How do I disable teams on my server?

Set relationshipmanager.maxteamsize to 0 for solo-only play, or to a small number such as 2 for duos.