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PUBG vs Rust
PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS is the more played game right now: 298,251 players on Steam against 60,359 for Rust, about 5× more players. PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS has been ahead for 135 days straight, and has led on 147 days of the 150 days Coilr has tracked both games.
Rust counters with better Steam reviews: 87% positive vs 60%. PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS is free to play, while Rust costs $19.99 (−50%). Across all tracked metrics, PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS leads 8 of 10.
Players over time
Live Steam player counts, read every 5 minutes. Both are Action / Adventure games.
Which one have you played more?
Coilr members average 218h in PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS and 337h in Rust. Connect your Steam account and this row fills in with your own hours instead — then keeps tracking both, so you can see which one you are actually still playing.
PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS
218h
average of 164 members
Rust
337h
average of 103 members
See my hours in both
Free · read-only via Steam OpenID · no password · delete anytime
PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS
282,728Rust
81,115Daily averages · latest day · PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, 3.5× the players of Rust
One point per day, averaged · Your time zone · drag or use arrow keys to read the lines
Tracked by Coilr since April 2026 · Read every 5 minutes · methodology
These are Steam players only. A game that also runs on its own launcher, a storefront of its own or on console has players this number cannot see, so read it as a comparison of Steam audiences rather than of total ones.
Head-to-head record
PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS has had the higher daily player count for the last 135 days. Rust last led on May 27, 2026.
PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS led 147 daysRust led 3 days
- Days tracked
- 150
- Current streak
- 135 days
- PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS
- Lead changes
- 4
- Closest gap
- 7%
- May 8, 2026
How this works: each game's daily average concurrent players (from Coilr's own Steam readings), compared on the 150 days where both games have data. Whichever averages higher leads that day.
Side by side
Every number Coilr has for both games. The better figure in each row is in green.
| Metric | PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS | Rust |
|---|---|---|
| Players right now | 298,251 | 60,359 |
| 24-hour peak | 692,538 | 117,765 |
| 7-day average | 296,788 | 96,111 |
| 30-day average | 311,381 | 83,735 |
| 30-day trend | −2% | −11% |
| Peak (tracked) | 824,401 | 220,224 |
| Steam reviews | 60% positive | 87% positive |
| Recent reviews (3 mo) | 35% positive | 81% positive |
| Total reviews | 2,785,123 | 1,403,993 |
| Owners (SteamSpy est.) | ~100,000,000 | ~20,000,000 |
| Release date | Dec 21, 2017 | Feb 8, 2018 |
| Price | Free to play | $19.99 (−50%) |
Players by month
Monthly average and peak concurrent players on Steam, from Coilr's own tracking (readings every few minutes for the biggest games, hourly averages beyond 30 days).
| Month | PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS | Rust | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg | Peak | Avg | Peak | |
| Apr 2026 | 162,384 | 212,877 | — | — |
| May 2026 | 243,779 | 744,400 | 95,781 | 182,883 |
| Jun 2026 | 317,209 | 824,401 | 104,094 | 220,224 |
| Jul 2026 | 327,330 | 797,879 | 104,874 | 196,421 |
| Aug 2026 | 326,345 | 783,393 | 99,832 | 198,220 |
| Sep 2026 | 312,270 | 794,644 | 81,963 | 147,607 |
| Oct 2026 (so far) | 294,376 | 692,538 | 91,994 | 162,249 |
Frequently asked
Which has more players, PUBG or Rust?
PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS currently has more players: 298,251 concurrent players on Steam vs 60,359 for Rust, about 5× more players.
Is PUBG bigger than Rust on Steam?
Over the last 30 days PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS averaged 311,381 concurrent players and Rust averaged 83,735. By that measure PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS is currently the bigger game.
Has Rust ever had more players than PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS?
Yes. Across the 150 days Coilr has tracked both games, Rust had the higher daily average on 3 days, most recently on May 27, 2026. PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS has led for the last 135 days.
Is PUBG better than Rust?
By Steam review score, Rust rates higher: 87% positive across 1,403,993 reviews vs 60% across 2,785,123 for PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS. PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS has the larger player base right now (298,251 vs 60,359 concurrent). Player counts, ratings, price and trend are compared side by side above.
Is PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS growing or declining on Steam?
PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS averaged 311,381 concurrent players over the last 30 days, roughly flat vs the previous 30 days. Its highest tracked player count is 824,401.
Is Rust growing or declining on Steam?
Rust averaged 83,735 concurrent players over the last 30 days, down 11% vs the previous 30 days. Its highest tracked player count is 220,224.
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