Despite being released with Early Access in 2013, Rust, a multiplayer survival game developed by Facepunch Studios, is getting a lot of attention now than ever before. Video games that are gaining popularity years after the original release date are not that rare, of course, and a good example is the 2018 social deduction game.

It's worth noting that while Rust is at its most popular right now, the game has piqued player interest from early access in 2013. Until its full release in 2018. For years, Rust has remained in the top ten lists on Steam and is currently considered one of the best survival games . The question now is of course: where does this sudden interest come from? And how did the game gain worldwide attention, despite its launch almost eight years ago?

Popular streamers were able to revive the Rust

Several popular video game streamers discovered Rust over the holiday season, bringing even more players to the survival game. In late December, several Twitch streamers such as Shroud, XQc, Pokimane, Disgusted Toast and many others started playing Rust on the same server hosted by Offline TV, which now causes some drama. It led to a breakthrough in the mainstream video game community, especially after the game hit a new high level of viewership last January with over a million viewers.

Like many video games popularized by streamers, this display has led Rust to a new peak of concurrent players on Steam. While it's worth noting that The Jump isn't as popular as some of the other groundbreaking multiplayer games of 2020, such as Among Us, it was enough to pique the interest of many players. Of course, despite the attention the game has received from streamers, Rust's success is also rooted in survival gameplay and Facepunch Studios' commitment to ensuring that the game consistently receives content updates to keep players interested.

During the pandemic, the popularity of multiplayer games increased

Uniquely, another factor contributing to Rust's success is the sudden popularity of multiplayer games in general during the pandemic. Given the lockdown restrictions imposed in many countries as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, multiplayer games allowed players to safely communicate and play with other people without leaving home. In addition to Rust, other titles have gained popularity in the gaming community, be it a full-fledged multiplayer game or games with multiplayer elements.

It started with Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which was a huge success for Nintendo, with over 20 million copies sold during the year. Other breakout games include Among Us, Phasmophobia, and Genshin Impact, and what all of these games have in common is their multiplayer feature. Ultimately, there are so many factors that may have contributed to Rust's sudden popularity. The attention it received from streamers and the overall increase in popularity of multiplayer games were the main factors that allowed the game to enter the mainstream.

Ultimately, it would be interesting to see if Rust can stand the test of time, especially when streamers lose interest in the game and things start to return to normal in the real world. However, the fame he has gained since then has already resulted in more copies being sold on Steam. The new player base is likely to continue, especially as the console versions are already under development.

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