After more than a decade, Rust may finally be preparing to reveal its sequel. The long-running multiplayer survival title first launched in early access in 2013 and later received its full release in 2018, going on to sell more than nine million copies. With so many players still active today, any hint of a sequel quickly catches fans’ attention.
That is exactly what may have just happened, as Rust 2 appears to have shown up on Steam in the most unexpected way possible. A mysterious store listing for Rust 2 has just gone live, suggesting that the sequel could be coming soon and will be free-to-play. As expected, it didn’t take long for the community to explode with speculation and theories. To make things even more interesting, Rust developer Facepunch Studios COO Alistair McFarlane quickly responded, saying “You saw nothing.” Spooky!
At the moment, Rust 2 has not been officially revealed through a formal launch announcement. While a sequel project was loosely mentioned back in 2023 as a non-Unity project, this latest Steam appearance feels more like a strange teaser, as it appears incomplete and lacks the standard polish of a regular Steam listing. The page is almost totally blank, after all.
The situation becomes even more confusing when you look deeper, because a SteamDB entry for Rust 2 has existed since early 2024, although it had previously been marked as suspicious and potentially an impersonation. Whatever Facepunch is planning, it seems Rust 2 might be inching ever closer.
It is also worth noting that Facepunch is preparing to release s&box, the spiritual successor to Garry’s Mod, on April 28. With that in mind, this surprise Steam page could simply be a way to build hype around the studio’s upcoming release and get their name in the headlines. It worked for us! For now, these remain only speculations, and we will need to wait for clearer information on the eventual Rust 2. As more news and rumors emerge, we’ll be sure to keep you updated here at GameObserver.
