Rust is having a Face Off moment with its new update, introducing new and improved character models

Facepunch has completely rebuilt Rust’s player model from scratch, and its new, high quality characters have more realistic animations.

The Rust 'Built Different' update has just landed, bringing with it the most substantial upgrade to its player models in years. Sporting fresh animations to boot, characters are far more realistic, though I always found their kinetic jank to be part of the Rust experience. Alongside the revamp, Facepunch has brought a new top-tier armor set and a classic assault rifle to the fore.

"The old player model has served us well for almost 10 years, but it's lagged behind the rest of the game for some time," Facepunch notes in its new update blog. Rust has had its fair share of bit-part updates over the years, but these piecemeal changes have been hampered by the model's limitations. The studio says "it became clear that the only real way forward was to rip it out and rebuild it properly."

As part of the revamp, there are now more heads, and they even have eyelashes - eyelashes! New shaders and hairstyles add more finesse to your tress, while clothing's been re-rigged. We're not scurrying about in Prada, but we're certainly looking all Gucci. Throw in some fancy new animation sub-systems, and the survival game's characters are suddenly a lot more human.

Whether you actually think they're better or not will probably depend on if you roll an unlucky seed - there are some truly cursed countenances out there. I've even seen a couple of characters that look eerily similar to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. While you're currently assigned a random model in Rust, Facepunch says it plans on adding player customization in the future.

Elsewhere in the Built Different update, the new Ballistic Armor set will keep you nice and safe while out in the field. The catch is that it isn't craftable, and you'll have to watch out for the premium threads. This is likewise the case for the Battle Dress Uniform (BDU), which "offers slightly improved protection" over other garms. You'll also want to keep an eye out for the M16A2, with the all-timer rifle now obtainable through locked crates.

The Rust Built Different update is out now. Here's hoping for a high-roll on my new character, as I may fall to my knees in a junkyard if they're ugly.