ROB RUN Beginner Guide: Wipes, Clans, Cops and Pay-to-Win

ROB RUN, Kefir's free-to-play crime sandbox that went into Early Access on Steam on November 4, 2026, is built around weekly server wipes, clans and a police force played by real people. Kefir answered the most common newcomer questions in an official FAQ on October 2 and described the core loop in a gameplay overview on September 17. This guide collects those answers. For the launch numbers, see our report on ROB RUN's 151,032-player peak.

The posts predate launch, and Kefir's November 4 changes post says none of its adjustments “are set in stone.” Treat every detail below as true at the time of writing.

Servers wipe every seven days

Kefir's FAQ says: “Right now, each wipe cycle lasts seven days. That said, wipe lengths could adjust down the road.” The studio's reasoning is that every wipe starts a new story on “a level playing field for everyone,” whether you are “a green rookie or a seasoned heister.”

Money drives progression, and the FAQ adds a catch: “the more wealth you've accrued by the time the wipe hits, the longer your prison sentence will be.” Everyone then restarts as a Hobo, “fresh out of prison with no cash and nowhere to live,” according to Kefir's October 28 post on its power pyramid.

Kefir plans at least one fresh server per day in each region: EU at 5 PM UTC and East US at 8 PM ET. At launch only official servers exist, and the FAQ says custom community servers are not planned for launch.

Clans hold up to 100 players and fight for territory

“Up to 100 people can join a single clan,” the FAQ says. For now, clans exist only on the server the player picked, though Kefir says that “may change in the future.” Clans can control property and territories, but “you'll have to fight competing factions to secure and hold them.” Russian outlet PlayGround.ru, reporting on November 9, described the mix as street crime in the spirit of Grand Theft Auto with the building and survival elements of Rust.

Cops and criminals are a choice made in the city of Looty Bay: “every time you enter the city, you can choose one of these two roles or look around and explore before taking your pick.” Players can switch clans during a wipe cycle. According to the gameplay overview, a player becomes a Criminal only when they put on a mask, so you can scout a target first.

Cops are real players, and surrendering has a price

Kefir's overview states that “the cops in ROB RUN are real players.” They get standard-issue gear and a basic vehicle, and earn from a cut of confiscated goods, arrests and bribes. Their earning potential is lower than a criminal's, but they do not risk their own equipment on shift.

The FAQ calls the role asymmetrical: cops “almost always outnumber you” and respawn in Looty Bay with fast rides, so “early on, they're a massive threat,” but “once criminals earn serious firepower, the tides turn.” On a fresh server, patrol cops only have pistols, and better gear unlocks as the server ages, per the November 4 post.

If police catch you, the overview says you can surrender, and “the cops only confiscate what's in your bag, leaving your equipped gear intact.” The longer a crime spree runs, the higher your Notoriety climbs: better loot and payouts, with risk rising at the same rate.

Solo, parties and the car question

Kefir does not say which is better. The FAQ says it “comes down to your strategy”: solo players “will struggle in direct clashes against full parties,” but going solo “offers unique advantages that party players don't get.” The overview adds that you start with a cheap rental car and “don't need to be the sharpest of shooters,” since tactics and driving can outsmart cops or rivals. The FAQ says any player can lockpick and raid a vehicle's trunk anywhere in the city. Stealing the car itself currently requires wiping out the owner's whole base with an ultra-rare raid item.

Is it pay-to-win?

In the FAQ, Kefir answers directly: “Currently, only cosmetic items are available for purchase, offering zero gameplay advantages.” The Steam page lists in-app purchases, and the game itself is free to download.

Kefir's posts do not say whether the wipe length will change, which regions come next or what carries over between wipes. The studio says it will add regions “when we can.”