Despite releasing in early access back in 2013,Rust, a survival multiplayer game developed by Facepunch Studios, is getting a lot of attention now than ever before. Of course, video games that become popular years after their original release date is not that uncommon, and one good example isthe 2018 social deduction gameAmong Us.
It is worth noting that whileRust’spopularity is at its highest right now, the game has been able to capture the interest of players since it entered early access in 2013 up until its full release in 2018. For years,Rusthas been lingering around the top ten lists on Steamand is considered as one of the best survival games right now. Of course, the question now is, why the sudden interest? And how did the game manage to gain worldwide attention despite releasing nearly eight years ago?
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Popular Streamers Were Able to Revive Rust
Several popular video game streamers have discoveredRust around the holidays, which led to even more players discovering the survival game. At the end of December, several Twitch streamers such as Shroud, XQc, Pokimane, Disgusted Toast, and many more began playingRuston the same server organized by Offline TV,which is now causing some drama. This led to the game’s breakout to the mainstream video game community, especially after the game reached a new peak of viewership with over a million viewers last January.
Like many other video games popularized by streamers, this exposure ledRustto reach a new peak of concurrent players on Steam. Although it is worth noting that the peak is not as popular as some of 2020’s other breakout multiplayer games, such asAmong Us,but it was still enough to capture the interest of many players. Of course, despite the attention the game received from streamers,Rust’ssuccess is also rooted in its survival gameplay and Facepunch Studios' commitment to ensuring that the game consistently receives content updates to keep players interested.
Multiplayers Games Have Risen in Popularity During the Pandemic
On a unique note, another factor contributing toRust’ssuccess isthe sudden popularity of multiplayer games in general amidst the pandemic. Given the lockdown restrictions imposed in many countries due to the COVID-19 pandemic, multiplayer games allowed players to safely interact and have fun with other people without leaving their homes. AlongsideRust, other titles, whether a full-fledged multiplayer game or those containing some multiplayer elements, gained popularity in the gaming community.
This started withAnimal Crossing: New Horizons, which proved to be a resounding success for Nintendo,reaching over 20 million units sold under a year. Other breakout games includeAmong Us, Phasmophobia,andGenshin Impact, and what all these games have in common is their multiplayer functionality. In the end, there are so many factors that could have contributed toRust’ssudden popularity. The attention it received from streamers and the general rise of multiplayer games are the major factors that allowed the game to break through the mainstream.
In the end, it would be interesting to see whetherRustwill pass the test of time, especially after streamers have lost interest in the game and when things in the real world start to go back to normal. However, the exposure it has since received has already led toRustselling more copies on Steam. Its newfound player base will likely stick around, especially since console versions are already in development.
Rustis out now for PC, with console ports currently in development.
