By Sagar V. Mankar 
The survival game “Rust” has shattered its previous records, reaching an outstanding 262,284 concurrent players on Steam. This milestone comes nearly 11 years after the game’s early access launch, surpassing even its peak numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Breaking Records in 2024
In an official post, the game developer Facepunch Studios shared impressive statistics about the game’s achievements in the last year.:
- 5.5 million unique players
- 40 million hours of gameplay
- 325 million game sessions
- 87% positive rating from 1000k Steam reviews
“We’ve been hitting new monthly records,” shares Facepunch Studios director Alistair McFarlane on X. “The team has worked tirelessly for 11 years, and 2025 will bring even more great content.”
Game Evolution
Since its 2013 early access release and 2018 full launch, Rust has thrived through consistent updates. The survival game challenges players to gather resources and defend themselves in a hostile wilderness. Over the past year, the game introduced several exciting features:
- New vehicles: bicycles and motorbikes
- Redesigned world map with fresh locations
- Backpack system
- Enhanced weapons – the minigun, military flame thrower, SKS, High Calibre Revolver, Handmade SMG
- Quality-of-life improvements
Looking Ahead: What’s Coming in 2025
Celebrating 11 years, the developers have promised regular monthly updates on the first Thursday of each month, focusing on adding fresh content, improving game performance, and addressing bugs. One of the most anticipated updates, the Primitive Update, is set to launch on February 6, 2025. This update includes:
- Siege Tower: A movable structure capable of scaling exterior walls while keeping players protected. It can be pushed manually or drawn by horses, with extendable drawbridges.
- Catapult: A long-range projectile launcher capable of firing boulders, radioactive barrels, and propane tank IEDs.
- Ballista: A highly accurate siege weapon with multiple ammo types, ideal for damaging doors, vehicles, and enemies.
- Battering Ram: A driveable vehicle equipped with a ram that can damage building blocks in a radius.
In addition to these weapons, improvements are coming to horses, including their ability to tow siege weapons. Players can also expect new melee weapon balances, shields, and customizable skins.
Forwards
Beyond the February update, more exciting updates are in development. Highlights include:
- Cooking 2.0: A complete overhaul of food management with unique buffs.
- Jungle Biome: A new environment featuring dangerous animals like crocodiles and tigers.
- Game Modes: Changes and improvements to both softcore and hardcore modes.
Performance improvements remain a core focus, with newly hired staff dedicated entirely to optimizing the game. Facepunch Studios is also exploring premium servers based on Rust Steam inventory values to combat cheaters more effectively.
Sources: Twitter/X (Alistair McFarlane), SteamDB, Official Blog