Rust sets a new Steam record after eleven years as giant medieval update looms

There are many fantastic survival games to choose from in 2025, from long-standing favorites such as Valheim and Ark to modern hits like Palworld, Once Human, and Sons of the Forest. But to this day, when I think of the genre, I think of Rust. Waking up naked on a beach and hitting trees with a rock is the purest distillation of the format, and it remains as strangely compelling as ever. As it passes its eleven-year anniversary, Rust is now the biggest it's ever been on Steam, and executive producer Alistair McFarlane thanks players for the record.
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