In 2025, Rust was played by more than 5 million unique players, with more than 700 million hours played, and received many important updates. One of the most significant changes was the introduction of premium servers that, in theory, can reduce the amount of cheaters. The game also got a new biome called Jungle, 500 quality-of-life changes, and many more.
Rust February Update
On February 5, Rust will get one of the most significant updates ever, which will add absolutely different mechanics that no one could expect from this game - the Naval gameplay.
It will be part of the main game, not a separate mode, and will allow players to build their own ships, explore islands and new monuments, and encounter new AI.
Further 2026 updates
In addition to the massive naval update, we will have a lot of other content in 2026. Developers have already verified that they are working on the new monuments, including one apartment complex, new player models, and animations to improve the game's feel.
The ecosystem will be expanded by new animals, such as cows and sheep, including their breeding systems.
Cheating
As we mentioned at the beginning, in 2025, Rust received premium servers, which you could access if your Rust Steam inventory were valued at $15 or more, which I think is a good move, because you are not forced to pay more with a subscription, for example, for the game you already bought.
With the opening of the HackerOne program, you can report security vulnerabilities and exploits in exchange for money. As mentioned, they have already paid out $300k since the start of the program.