I think it’s likely to spike again when the api goes dark
That's a fair point. I think I might bump up the specs of this instance over the weekend (will make an announcement prior).
I haven’t been back there, is any consensus forming regarding whether people will use /r/rust, !rust, or !rust going forward?
I am still of the opinion that both can (and probably should) co-exist. This particular instance will always be Rust focused, federated and have rust dedicated micro-communities. Whether it continues to grow only time will tell I suppose.