If you've played Rust for more than ten minutes, you know the game is basically a horror simulator already. There is nothing quite like the panic of hearing a landmine click under your feet or seeing a silhouette with an AK-47 through the trees while you're just trying to carry some wood home. But every October, Facepunch decides to lean into that nightmare fuel. The Rust Halloween Event 2024 wasn't just another seasonal reskin; it was a chaotic mess of portals, pet monsters, and candy-fueled adrenaline that genuinely changed how people played the game for those few weeks.
Most people think these events are just for the casual "roleplayer" crowd. They're wrong. If you weren't grinding the candy hunts, you were missing out on some of the easiest high-tier loot in the game. We're talking M249s and LRs falling out of loot bags because you picked up some glowing pumpkins.
The Ritual of the Candy Hunt
The core of the event is the Candy Hunt. It happens roughly every two in-game days. You’ll know it’s starting because the music shifts—it gets eerie, and a countdown pops up on your screen. You have exactly three minutes.
It’s a mad dash. Basically, candies spawn all around you, and you have to vacuum them up. But here is the thing: you aren't just competing against the clock. You're competing against everyone else in the vicinity who is also desperate for that top-three podium finish. The rewards for winning are ridiculous. First place usually gets three Medium Loot Bags, which can contain anything from a Revolver to a Chainsaw or even high-end explosives.
If you didn't win, you could still "upgrade" your candy. You stack up 10 small candies to make a Medium Loot Bag, or 10 Mediums to make a Large one. It’s a literal slot machine. I’ve seen players pull an M249 out of a Large Loot Bag on day two of a wipe. It completely breaks the early-game progression, which is why the "sweats" take it so seriously.
Pro-Tips for the Hunt
- The Pumpkin Bucket: Don't even try to hunt without this. It lets you instant-pick up candy.
- Scarecrow Wrap: This gives you "Candy Vision." It makes the candies glow brighter and allows you to see them from further away. It’s basically legal wallhacks for pumpkins.
- The Combat Strategy: Most people forget you can use the Pumpkin Bucket to throw candy. It does about 20 damage. It’s not much, but it’s hilarious to kill a geared player with a piece of corn.
Portals and the RUIN Experiment
This year, the portals were the big talk. They appear as these glowing blue rifts in random spots on the map. Lore-wise, it’s some Cobalt experiment called R.U.I.N. that went sideways. Gameplay-wise, it’s a dungeon crawl.
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You step through, and you're transported to an underground area filled with Scarecrows and Mummies. These NPCs are aggressive. They don't just stand there; they chase you down with chainsaws and beancan grenades. If you've ever been chased through a dark tunnel by a screaming scarecrow with a running chainsaw, you know why people were losing their minds.
The loot inside these portals is heavy on components and high-tier scrap. It became a meta strategy to camp the exit of these portals. You wait for someone to come out, exhausted and low on health, then you take everything they worked for. It’s peak Rust.
Building Your Own Frankenstein
One of the weirder mechanics that returned for the Rust Halloween Event 2024 was the ability to build a pet. You had to hunt down Mummies and Scarecrows to collect body parts—heads, torsos, and legs. They come in three tiers: Light, Medium, and Heavy.
Once you have a set, you craft a Frankenstein’s Table. You don't even need power for it. You assemble the bits, hit the "Awaken" button, and suddenly you have a 7-foot-tall monster that follows you around.
You control it with a radial menu (default key is "P"). You can tell it to guard you, attack what you attack, or just stay put. Honestly, they aren't the brightest AI. They get stuck on rocks constantly. But having an extra 400 HP meat shield during a raid is a massive advantage. I’ve seen people use them as scouts to check if a base has active turrets. If the monster dies, who cares? You just go find more legs.
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The Economics of Spooky Skins
The item store during this event was a goldmine for collectors. Facepunch dropped some heavy hitters this year.
- Dracula Cape & Mask: This was the big "prestige" item. It looks cool, sure, but the mask actually functioned as decent protection.
- Hockey Facemask: A reskin of the Metal Facemask. It’s a classic "slasher" look that fits the vibe perfectly.
- Cultist Deer Torch: A weird, antler-adorned torch that looks like something out of a folk horror movie.
- Baseball Bat: This is a reskin of the Mace. It’s covered in barbed wire and nails. It’s a clear nod to Negan from The Walking Dead, and it hits like a truck.
There were also the freebies. The Frankenstein and Mummy masks could be found in the loot bags or on the NPCs themselves. You didn't even have to spend real money to look the part.
Why This Event Actually Matters
Most seasonal events in games feel like a distraction. In Rust, the Halloween event is a tactical shift. The abundance of loot bags means that even a "primitive" player can suddenly find themselves with an MP5 or an LR-300. It levels the playing field for about two weeks.
It also changes the map's geography. Suddenly, people aren't just clustering around the Oil Rig or Launch Site. They’re hunting for rifts and farming scarecrows in the middle of nowhere. It spreads the population out, which actually makes the game feel more alive and unpredictable.
The "Mummy Underwear" reskin was a funny touch too. It replaces your default underwear with bandages. It’s a small detail, but it shows that the devs still have a sense of humor amidst all the soul-crushing survival mechanics.
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Critical Takeaways for Future Events
If you missed the 2024 chaos, keep these things in mind for next time. First, the candy hunt is the fastest way to get a gun. Period. Don't ignore the music when it starts. Second, Frankenstein pets are best used as distractions, not primary damage dealers. They will miss half their swings, but they'll soak up plenty of bullets for you.
Finally, watch the portals. They are high-risk, high-reward, but they are also death traps if a clan decides to wall one off or camp the entrance.
To make the most of the next seasonal wipe, start practicing your movement for the candy hunts and make sure you have a "P" keybind ready for your monster. If you haven't already, check the community market for the older Halloween skins; their prices usually spike right before the event starts and dip shortly after. Stocking up on a few "Skull Firepits" or "Cursed Cauldrons" now might be a solid long-term investment for your Steam wallet.
Stay spooky. Or at least stay alive.
Next Steps for You
- Check your Steam inventory for any leftover Halloween bags; you can still open them even after the event ends.
- Practice your "P" menu commands on a creative server to get used to pet movement.
- Keep an eye on the Facepunch devblog for the 2025 teaser, as they usually hint at new portal locations weeks in advance.