Gmod's Creator Comes Clean

S&box’s Troubled Launch

Garry Newman of Facepunch acknowledged that S&box had launched badly. About six months in, the platform was losing hundreds of thousands of dollars a month, had poor player retention and negative reviews, and its free weekend failed to win players over. Newman said the launch had damaged the game’s reputation and alienated some Garry’s Mod fans.

An Ambitious Platform, Not Just a Sequel

S&box was envisioned as a Source 2-powered development toolkit and game-discovery platform. Creators could build full games and potentially earn payouts, while players could find and play those games in the same ecosystem. Facepunch also secured permission for S&box-made games to be released as standalone Steam titles.

However, many players expected something closer to “Garry’s Mod, but better,” rather than a broad game engine and platform.

Why the Storefront Struggled

Players had trouble finding worthwhile games among a flood of low-effort projects and AI-generated thumbnails. Facepunch responded by requiring creators to apply for the Play Fund and removing categories such as clickers, idle games, and UI-only projects.

The video argues that S&box’s original paid entry fee also limited its audience, leaving too few players to help good games stand out from the clutter.

The “Sausage People” Problem

S&box’s default Citizen characters looked goofy to many Garry’s Mod players, who had hoped Source 2 would bring higher-fidelity human characters. Facepunch initially adjusted their proportions, then moved toward more realistic, Source-like humans as the default.

The episode uses this as an example of how defaults can shape first impressions, even when alternatives are available.

A Shift in Priorities

Newman said Facepunch had focused too much on the engine and developers, and not enough on players’ experiences. The studio is also planning Steam Workshop integration to replace its existing in-house content system, which it had previously invested heavily in.

What Comes Next

Facepunch plans to make S&box free to play and offer rewards to existing players. The video is skeptical that the platform can grow without a breakout game, especially since successful ideas can quickly be copied by competitors.

It concludes that S&box’s goal—a more appealing alternative to platforms like Roblox or Fortnite—may still be possible, but the team has a difficult rebuild ahead.

People and Sources Mentioned

Garry Newman, Facepunch, the Garry’s Mod community, YouTuber Eridiium, games-market analyst Simon Carless, and Bobby Kotick, who is mentioned in the closing joke.