Rust sets a new record on Steam after eleven years, as a giant Medieval update looms on the horizon

There are many great survival games to choose from in 2025, from long-time favorites like Valheim and Ark to modern titles like Palworld, Once Human, and Sons of the Forest. But to this day, when I think of that genre, I think of him Rust. Waking up naked on a beach and hitting trees with a rock is the purest distillation of this format, and remains as strangely compelling as ever. As it passes its 11th anniversary, Rust is now the biggest game ever on Steam, and executive producer Alastair MacFarlane thanks players for the record.

“Rust is going from strength to strength,” MacFarlane wrote via A strong 2024 has kept it among the top games on Steam even as new games have challenged it Survival games Such as Palworld and Once Human. But in the last 24 hours, Rust It peaked at 262,284 active users, surpassing its previous peak of 245,243 set in January 2021.

It has now sold over 17.5 million copies in total, and has barely a million reviews from Steam users, with an impressive recommendation rate of 87%. “Over the past few months, we’ve set new monthly records,” says McFarlane. “This was a huge pandemic that we weren’t sure if we would have overcome, unless there was another global pandemic.” 2024 has been full of updates and features, from the dramatic Global Update 2.0 to the introduction of backpacks, bikes, and a host of new weapons.

“Thank you so much to everyone who supports Rust,” McFarlane continues. “The team has worked tirelessly over the past 11 years.” He says in a developer blog that “continuity” is the driving force moving into 2025, with “guaranteed monthly updates continuing on the first Thursday of every month.” That starts with the Primal update, which is scheduled to launch on Thursday, February 6 with its own custom game mode.

MacFarlane says the Primal is “one of the most impactful updates to date.” It turns rust into fake Medieval gameimagine a scenario in which technology and ammunition are so scarce that survivors are forced to resort to more conventional options. This means that battles will be fought with swords, shields and bows. Expect improvements to horses and the introduction of siege vehicles such as turrets, catapults, catapults and pounders.

Furthermore, MacFarlane says Facepunch Studios has “a lot of content in development right now.” Among other introductions planned for 2025 are a major 2.0 rework of cooking, a new jungle biome that will host crocodiles, tigers and more, and tweaks to both soft and hardcore game modes. This list is “a superficial survey of only a few key features,” says McFarlane He finishes“We have a lot of planning.”

Whether it’s attractive Best open world games That spark your exploratory senses, or the interactions between real people that only people can perform Best multiplayer games Can be brought, we’ve highlighted package options in 2025.

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