SCUM 1.0: Survival Depth, Crude Humor, and a Controversial Slider
After nearly seven years in Steam Early Access, SCUM, the hyper-realistic open-world survival game from Gamepires and Jagex, launched its 1.0 version on June 17, 2025. Set on a 225 km² Croatian-inspired island, this gritty survival simulator pits prisoners against each other in a corporate-run spectacle. With intricate mechanics like a detailed metabolism system and a notorious genital customization DLC, SCUM has sparked heated discussion among players. Here’s how the community is reacting to the 1.0 release and a dive into its standout—and controversial—features.
From Early Access to 1.0
SCUM debuted in August 2018, casting players as prisoners fighting to survive on a supermax island under the gaze of TEC1, a corporation broadcasting their struggles for profit. Its promise of ultra-realistic survival mechanics, tracking everything from calories to dental health, set it apart from peers like Rust or DayZ. Over the years, Gamepires added vehicles, expanded base-building, stealth mechanics, and a reworked map, building a loyal fanbase despite never rivaling the mainstream success of its competitors.
The 1.0 release delivers a polished experience with a fully reworked map, new vehicles like tractors and seaplanes, and a graphical overhaul for better visuals and performance. The Summer Game Fest 2025 trailer showcased the island’s chaos, but some players criticized its action-heavy, almost battle-royale-like tone for overshadowing SCUM’s survival core.
Player Reception: Love, Hate, and Everything In Between
With over 88,000 Steam reviews and a “Mostly Positive” rating (75% overall, 78% in the last 30 days), SCUM retains a dedicated following but faces challenges in winning over newcomers.
The Good: Unmatched Immersion
Fans praise SCUM’s depth, particularly its metabolism system, which tracks calories, hydration, body fat, and even tooth condition. The character creation system lets players tweak attributes like strength, dexterity, constitution, and intelligence, shaping their playstyle as a brute or a strategist. The revamped 225 km² map, blending Adriatic coasts and snowy peaks, has been lauded for its stunning visuals. Players on private PvE servers often share positive experiences, with one Reddit user’s sentiment reflecting, “I’m loving it! Got a little shelter set up and some decent gear… Everyone has been super friendly.” Gamepires’ active communication also earns community goodwill.
The Bad: Steep Barriers and Missteps
New players frequently find SCUM’s learning curve brutal, with outdated tooltips and a crafting system some liken to “a Ph.D. in menu navigation.” Desync issues in PvP and a lack of clear endgame content frustrate veterans, with comparisons to DayZ or Tarkov highlighting SCUM’s rough edges. The 1.0 trailer drew flak for its juvenile humor and explosive focus, which one Reddit user called “edgy, like it’s made for 15-year-olds,” arguing it misrepresents the game’s survival depth and rich backstory.
The Ugly: A Divided Community
The SCUM community is a mixed bag. PvE and private servers foster camaraderie, but official PvP servers can be toxic, with reports of cheating and gatekeeping by veterans. One player’s quip, “Everyone I found in SCUM was, well, scum,” captures the cutthroat vibe of public servers. The game’s Adult Only 18+ rating, driven by nudity, gore, and mature themes like cannibalism, amplifies its niche appeal but turns off some players.
Standout Features: Survival Grit and a Polarizing Slider
SCUM’s 1.0 release leans into its hyper-realistic survival mechanics. The BCU monitor tracks health metrics like hydration, body fat, and dental health—if your character loses teeth, you’ll need to liquefy food to eat. Combat blends player skill with stamina and health, while environmental factors like wetness, smell, and crafting add strategic depth. The third-person perspective prevents peeking exploits, and night vision simulates real-world photon physics for immersive realism.
Then there’s the genital customization, introduced in the 2018 Wild Hunter update. Players can adjust penis size from 3 to 10 inches (default 4 inches), with Supporter Pack owners starting at 6 inches. Enlarging costs attribute points that could boost strength or intelligence, while shrinking frees points for other stats. This feature, extended to breast size customization for female characters in the 2019 Call of Beauty update, has divided players. Some find it hilarious, with Reddit threads joking about “flapp-flopp” physics or comparing it to Conan Exiles. Others see it as pointless, with one user asking, “Why bother when everyone picks small for the stats?” A rumored bug causing uncontrollable penis growth (later fixed) added to the absurdity, though this remains unconfirmed in primary sources. The Supporter Pack’s “extra two inches” perk sparked pay-to-win concerns, but Gamepires clarified it’s the only such feature.
The Call of Beauty update also introduced plastic surgery and walking animations that emphasize character models, particularly female ones. While some players embraced the humor, others, especially female players, found the marketing focus on nudity and body customization off-putting, with one Reddit user noting, “If this was my first impression of SCUM, I’d pass.”
DLC and Future Plans
SCUM offers cosmetic DLCs like SCUM Deluxe, Danny Trejo, Luis Moncada, Raymond Cruz, and Hair Deluxe, alongside functional items like weapon and car skins. The Supporter Pack’s genital perk remains a quirky standout, but updates like Call of Beauty have drawn criticism for prioritizing cosmetics over gameplay fixes. Gamepires plans to treat SCUM as a live-service game, with future DLCs and potential modding support to address community demands. However, some players worry the game is veering toward action-oriented territory, with additions like mechs and dropships fueling comparisons to Fortnite.
Conclusion: A Niche Survival Epic with Rough Edges
SCUM’s 1.0 release cements its status as a niche survival gem, blending unparalleled depth with a steep learning curve. Its dedicated fans love the metabolism system and customization, but newcomers may struggle with complexity and a sometimes-toxic community. The genital customization slider, while a meme-worthy talking point, highlights SCUM’s bold but divisive approach to humor, risking alienation of some players.
Priced at $45 on Steam, SCUM is best for survival enthusiasts who enjoy private servers and don’t mind crude humor. Those put off by a steep curve or juvenile marketing might wait for further polish. What’s your take on SCUM’s 1.0 launch? Dive into the comments and share your island survival tales!
Note: Player quotes reflect common sentiment on SCUM’s Reddit community but are not direct citations from specific posts.