Rust, a game from 2013, just had one of its biggest weeks ever

Rust
Rust (Image credit: Facepunch Studios)

What you need to know

  • Rust is an engaging online multiplayer game that has players scavenging for supplies to survive...with a lot of PvP action.
  • The game first came out in Early Access in 2013, with a full release in 2018, but it only just recently became extremely popular.
  • Because of streamers on Twitch, and in a similar vein to Among Us, Rust just had one of its most successful weeks of all time.
  • It broke its record player count and made over $1 million twice in one week.

More people are playing video games now than ever before, and we've seen a fair share of wild success stories because of this and Twitch streamers. Among Us was one of the first games to shatter expectations and still sees a ton of popularity. Now, intense online PvP survival game Rust is getting its moment in the sun after one of its most popular weeks of all time.

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According to Garry Newman, the creator of the ever-popular Garry's Mod and a member of Facepunch Studios (the company behind Rust), this quirky game that was initially released all the way back in 2013 shattered its record high player counts twice in one week, which is indicative of this game's rising popularity.

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Of course, record player numbers also mean record sales, with Rust topping the $1 million mark in revenue twice in the same week, as well. Players who had already bought the game are returning in troves, while new players are busy purchasing Rust and jumping into this brutal PvP world.

Most of Rust's success can be attributed to Twitch, where streamers have latched on to the game and created their own servers. Again, there are a lot of similarities to Among Us, which was also discovered by streamers and steadily rose in popularity because of this. After watching their favorite streamers have a blast in Rust, people are rushing to buy and try the game themselves.

Rust is a unique game that combines heavy-duty survival mechanics like scavenging, crafting, hunger, thirst, and cold with PvP violence and proximity chat. You can pick up Rust right now on Steam, and it's also planning on making the jump to consoles sometime in the near future. Be sure to check out our list for the Best Gaming Headsets for PC, as a good mic can be the difference between a new friend and your latest demise.

Zachary Boddy
Staff Writer

Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019. Now a full-fledged Staff Writer, Zachary has expanded from only writing about all things Minecraft to covering practically everything on which Windows Central is an expert, especially when it comes to Microsoft. You can find Zachary on Twitter @BoddyZachary.