Developer of PC survival game 'Rust' shrugs off $4 million in refunds like it's nothing

It's not for everyone.
By Tina Amini  on 
Developer of PC survival game 'Rust' shrugs off $4 million in refunds like it's nothing

Imagine a $4 million loss sliding off your back like it's no big deal. Well, Rust developer Garry Newman doesn't have to imagine it at all.

On Wednesday, he casually tweeted this:

All told, Facepunch Studios gave out $4 million in refunds -- which is only 6 percent of the total sales Rust has made since its soft launch release on Steam's Early Access platform three and a half years ago, according to an interview Newman did with PCGamesN.

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The whole point of Rust is to survive its world, and you're not given a lot of tools to help you do that. Here's how the game is described on its website:

Rust’s world is harsh. The environment is not kind. Bears and wolves will chase and kill you. Falling from a height will kill you. Being exposed to radiation for an extended period will kill you. Starving will kill you. Being cold will kill you. Other players can find you, kill you, and take your stuff.

It's not exactly the most forthcoming game and -- like a lot of other world-building, player-driven PC games like DayZ -- it can have a fairly steep learning curve.

So Newman isn't exactly surprised that a lot of people didn't get his game and asked for a refund in the name of a lack of fun. It's not for everyone.

Topics Gaming

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Tina Amini

Tina is the Games Editor for Mashable. She is a born and raised New Yorker. She received a degree in Media, Culture and Communication at New York University, where she also began her writing career. Tina has been editing and writing about video games for 8 years, working across various outlets including Complex Magazine and the former Gawker's Kotaku. She's an excellent first-person shooter player but favors stories above all. She also has the world's softest cat.


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