Resource respawn is the invisible clock under every farming loop. Farm the same metal node twice in ten minutes and you get nothing the second time. The rules behind that are simple once you know them.
The baseline interval
In practice, most resource nodes come back on a timer in the range of twenty minutes. Treat that as the community-observed baseline rather than a fixed game constant: the exact interval varies by map, by resource type, and by version, and the wiki data does not publish a single universal number.
What that means for your routine: a farming loop that revisits the same nodes in under twenty minutes is wasted walking. Rotate between spots, or farm something else while the timer runs.
The radius rule (the part that confuses everyone)
Nodes do not respawn while players are nearby. The game enforces a no-replenish radius around players and around structures, which produces the classic complaint: “the metal node by my base never comes back.”
It did come back — just not while you were standing on it. The pattern:
- Nodes near an active player stay depleted.
- Nodes near structures stay depleted.
- Move away, do something else for a while, and the area repopulates.
This is why the “farm everything around base, then complain the map is empty” loop happens. The base area is a dead zone by design, and the fix is rotation, not waiting.
The server multiplier
Dedicated servers control the whole timer through the resource respawn rate multiplier. The effect is direct:
| Multiplier effect | Gameplay consequence |
|---|---|
| Faster respawn | Local farming loops become viable; smaller maps sustain bigger tribes |
| Slower respawn | Long rotation routes; more travel per trip; less base-area pressure |
Single-player and low-population servers often raise it because the radius rule hits harder when one player is the only presence on the map. Official servers run closer to the baseline.
Cave respawns
Cave resources follow the same system, and cave respawns are the most misread. A cave that felt full yesterday can be empty today because it is between cycles — the resources did not despawn permanently.
If you farm caves regularly, rotate between two or three caves rather than clearing one and waiting in the entrance.
The practical routine
- Keep a rotation of three or four spots per resource, not one favorite.
- Fill the gap — farm a second resource while the first respawns.
- Do not camp depleted nodes. Standing next to a rock does not make it return faster.
- On your own server, tune the multiplier to your population before you tune your routes.