Did your gaming radar catch Rust when its early access version dropped in 2013? How about when it was finally released in full in 2018?
If you missed out on this multiplayer survival game back then, 2021 might just give you the chance to discover the game in its full glory. After all, Among Us made it big last year — a full two years after its original release.
And much like the unexpected revival of Among Us in 2020, Rust’s potential re-emergence in 2021 will be in large part because of today’s thriving streaming community. High-profile gaming personalities like Shroud, xQc, and the OfflineTV crew (Pokimane, DisguisedToast, and company) shined the spotlight on Rust in anticipation of the game’s early-year content drops.
While it’s not quite the instant smash hit like Fortnite or Valorant when it first came out, Rust has held its own through its first two years of release.
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The beginning of 2021 couldn’t get any better for the game though. UK-based developer Facepunch Studios revealed that Rust made US$1 million in revenue on two separate days during the first week of January alone.
In Rust, players are put in an open-world setting with the goal of survival against a variety of threats, including wildlife as well as the game’s other players. Players start the game equipped with just a torch and a rock(!), but they can eventually gather and craft tools and accessories, shelter, and a range of weapons like bows and arrows, guns, and melee weapons for use in PvP and NPC combat.
Rust is available on Steam and is expected to see console ports in the near future, especially now that the game’s PS4 and Xbox One versions have finally received an official ESRB rating.
Could Rust be 2021’s Among Us? Or will its early emergence send it down a path more similar to Fall Guys’ proverbial 15 minutes of fame? Only time will tell.
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