GoKawiilMicrosoft elevates Rust to Tier-1 language status, ties it to MSVC backend
Microsoft has designated Rust as a Tier-1 supported language for internal development, placing it alongside C++, C#, and TypeScript with full toolchain, tooling, and compliance support. As part of this effort, the company introduced rustc_codegen_utc, a new code generation backend that connects Rust's compiler to the MSVC backend used across Windows.
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This move signals Microsoft's deepening commitment to Rust as a core systems language for Windows, drivers, kernels, and hybrid C++/Rust projects, not just a niche experiment. By linking Rust directly to MSVC, Microsoft aims to ensure interoperability and consistent tooling across its native codebase, which could accelerate Rust adoption in security-critical and performance-sensitive software throughout the industry.
- Rust now has Tier-1 engineering status at Microsoft, matching C++, C#, and TypeScript.
- rustc_codegen_utc is a new backend linking Rust's compiler to the MSVC toolchain.
- The effort supports hybrid Rust/C++ projects across firmware, drivers, kernels, and apps.
Programming Rust, 2nd Edition (O'Reilly book) — With Rust now a tier-1 language at Microsoft, it's a great time to actually learn it properly. This O'Reilly guide by Jim Blandy, Jason Orendorff, and Leonora Tindall walks through ownership, borrowing, traits, and concurrency with real code, making it a solid desk reference for systems developers moving from C++ to Rust.
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Published there as: “Rust is tier-1 language at Microsoft”
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