Status
SteamPeaks
ChartsSalesUpcomingPatchesNewsCalculator
New on SteamEvery app, DLC and depot the minute Steam creates itAppsEvery app on Steam, newest change firstPackagesSubs and bundles, and what each containsDepotsDepots, manifests and install sizesTagsSteam's user tags and the games under themDevelopers & publishersCompanies and their cataloguesTechnologiesEngines, SDKs and anti-cheat found in the filesChange historyEvery PICS changelist as it lands
SignalsNineteen readings of the whole catalogueCompareAny games side by sideRecordsAll-time peaks and the days they were setReportsWeekly and monthly write-upsAlerts & newsroomWatch a game, get told when it movesSteam statusIs Steam up, right nowWeb API explorerTry the endpoints in the browser
NewsSteam's own announcements and the sales calendarCalculatorWhat a Steam account is worth, and its pile of shame
/
Sign in
/
SteamPeaks
The ultimate resource for Steam data.
ExploreChartsSalesSales and festsUpcomingPatchesNewsRecordsTrendingSignals
DatabaseAppsPackagesDepotsTagsDevelopersTechnologiesChange history
ToolsCalculatorCompareSearchAlertsSteam statusAPI
SiteMethodologyFAQDiscordSupportSign in via Steam
Not affiliated with Valve or Steam. Game names and artwork belong to their owners. All times UTC.
PrivacyCookiesFair useStatus
Red Rust PioneersNewsThe Playtest Trail Is Opening Wider
Community

The Playtest Trail Is Opening Wider

Red Rust Pioneers · published 23 Aug 2026, 00:07 UTC

All newsPlayers around this dateRead on Steam

Howdy, Pioneers,

Go check your email.

Today we sent Playtest invitations to the first 350 players who signed up for the Red Rust Pioneers Playtest on Steam. If you put your name forward, there may be an invitation sitting in your inbox right now.

Go and look. We'll wait.

How we got here

For the last two months we've been running a closed playtest with Pioneers from our Discord community. More than fifty hardy folks have braved the frontier, built camps, tackled quests, found bugs, and broken things in ways we never expected.

They're the reason we can open the gate today. Thanks to them, the frontier you're stepping into is in far better shape than the one they found.

This is only the first batch

As our new arrivals settle in and we see how the build holds up, we'll be opening more places. So if no invitation arrived today, don't fret. Your turn on the frontier is coming, and it isn't far off.

If you haven't signed up at all yet, there's still time. Head to the store page, request access to the Playtest, and your name goes straight in the hat for the next round.

Got a friend you reckon would love this? Send them along to wishlist and sign up for the Playtest too. Who knows, they might be in the next wave, and then you can head out onto the frontier together.

Come and find us on Discord

If you're taking part, this is where you want to be.

That's where you can share feedback, chat with the team and other Pioneers, and follow the bugs you report as we work our way through them. Some of the best fixes in the game started life as somebody saying "that seemed odd" in a Discord channel.

Thank you

To everyone who has tested for us so far, and to the thousands of you who volunteered and are still waiting your turn: thank you. We're genuinely humbled by it. Your enthusiasm for this game is what makes the long hours, the late nights, the bug fixing and the general indie developer madness worth every minute.

So. What are you waiting for?

Go check your email.

Thanks for your ongoing support,

– Rusty and the Rusty Robot dev team

P.S. I don't need to tell you folks what to do with your tea by now, do I?

More from Red Rust Pioneers

Other announcements

All news
Community5 Sep 2026The Demo Just Got a Lot BetterHowdy, Pioneers, We had this update written on Monday, and we did not send it. The demo had gone live, thousands of you were playing it, and we could see there was work to do. Rather than tell you how well it was going, we put our heads down and got on with it. Today's build is the one we wanted you to have. What changed · Performance is significantly better than it was on Monday. If the game r…Community28 Aug 2026The Trail Continues, and the Demo Arrives MondayHowdy, Pioneers, We have got some big news from the frontier. First up, a lot of you have been asking for a little more time with the current playtest. So we are extending it by another 48 hours. That takes the playtest through to Sunday 30 August at 6:00pm Eastern (EDT) , which is 3:00pm Pacific (PDT), or 22:00 UTC if you are further afield. A couple more days to explore Overlook Lake, expand…Community27 Aug 2026The Playtest Is Open to EveryoneHowdy, Pioneers, We said we would keep opening the trail wider if things kept going well. Well, here we are. The Red Rust Pioneers Playtest is now open to everyone who has signed up on Steam. So if you requested access, go and check Steam. Your time has come. One thing before you go. This round of playtesting closes on Friday 28 August at 6:00pm Eastern (EDT) , which is 3:00pm Pacific (PDT) , o…