Rust Developer Delays PlayStation & Xbox Console Release To 2021

By Jack Martin Updated:
A Rust character in a gas mask

Rust, a survival multiplayer game, was released as an early access game on PC in 2013. Since then, it has become a popular game on streaming platforms.

Because Rust was limited to a PC audience, fans on other platforms were hopeful that the game would release on consoles. In 2019, Double Eleven, Rust’s developer, announced that the game would come to PS4 and Xbox One in 2020.

However, development issues since then have led to a change in plans.

NEWS

Double Eleven, the UK developer of Rust, announced today in a blog post that the console version of Rust has been delayed. The game's initial release window was sometime in 2020, but it seems that 2021 is the expected new release for the console version of Rust

In the post, Double Eleven writes that the COVID-19 pandemic caused difficulty for the studio:

“As a company in 2020, a year that has brought very challenging times for many, we’ve felt very fortunate to be able to keep doing what we love. We’ve always had some remote workers but moving the entire company home to keep everyone safe has presented challenges as we’ve found new ways to work with each other in the new normal that this year had in store for us.”

The planned release window is sometime in 2021, with Double Eleven hoping to "restore trust:"

“We’re sorry that we haven’t been able to bring you Rust on console in 2020 as planned. We know from all of the messages that you’re excited to play it and we hope that with the dawn of 2021 we can restore your trust as we edge closer to being able to share something with you.”

WHAT THIS MEANS

This news is just the latest example of the COVID-19 pandemic affecting development studios in the gaming industry. From The Last of Us Part II to Cyberpunk 2077, and even to Cuphead’s DLC, it’s clear that the push to remote working is causing issues for developers. Double Eleven noted that the studio had some employees working remotely before the pandemic, but shifting the entire studio to remote work caused development problems.

It’s likely that 2021 is the new release window for the console version of Rust. It seems that, given the planned release of 2020, the console version is fairly close to being finished. The pandemic undoubtedly pushed this back, but it’s fair to expect that Rust will be available sometime next year.

There is no word on whether Rust will release specifically on the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series of consoles. However, both platforms support backward compatibility for games released on their previous iterations of consoles. It’s presumed that Rust will be enhanced on the next generation consoles thanks to their improved technology.

- About The Author: Jack Martin

PLAYSTATION Writer