"The platform is not well liked, it doesn't have good retention. I'm embarrassed by our reviews, I am ashamed," said Garry Newman, the man whose name is literally on the box. That's not a quote you expect from the creator of one of the most beloved sandbox games ever made — but it's not about Garry's Mod either. It's about the thing that was supposed to replace it. So let's sort out what's actually true here, because the headlines are getting tangled.
Myth: Garry's Mod is being abandoned for its successor
This is the one everyone jumps to, and it's backwards. If anything, the opposite just happened. In September 2026, Facepunch shipped a real update to the sixteen-year-old sandbox, not a patch note nobody asked for. The September 16, 2026 update introduced 64-bit binaries for the Windows client, dedicated servers, and most developer tools, including Hammer. That's not a cosmetic gesture toward a game on life support — that's structural surgery on something still being used hard enough to need it.
Myth: the 64-bit switch is a minor technical footnote
It isn't. Anyone who's run a heavily modded Garry's Mod server knows the old 32-bit wall: you pile on enough addons, enough NPCs, enough map complexity, and the game runs out of address space and crashes. The update specifically reduces the risk of running out of 32-bit memory and crashing on heavy servers or with many addons. For a game whose entire identity is "throw as much stuff into the box as you want," that's closer to a foundation repair than a footnote.
Myth: the update is just stability, nothing fun
Not quite. Alongside the plumbing work, the update added real content and quality-of-life changes:
- A new NPC variation, Hacked Manhacks, added to the spawn menu
- The Dropship NPC can now take damage in Sandbox mode — previously it was invulnerable when spawned
- Subcategories added to spawn menu content tabs so players can actually find items
- An overhauled player model selector with categories, a larger window, and better model rendering
- A new mountable game, standalone Insurgency (2014), added to the roster
So no — this wasn't a quiet stability patch. It's the kind of update that suggests a live, maintained game rather than a legacy product coasting on nostalgia.
Myth: S&box is the modern upgrade everyone wanted
This is where the story turns uncomfortable. S&box is Facepunch's spiritual successor, built on Valve's Source 2 engine and launched in April 2026 with the explicit goal of modernizing the sandbox formula. Since then, Steam reviews have sat around 47% positive — not a disaster score, but nowhere near the territory a Garry Newman project is supposed to live in. Newman himself didn't dress it up: "The platform is not well liked, it doesn't have good retention." When the creator uses the word "ashamed," that's not marketing spin, that's a diagnosis.
Myth: Facepunch is just going to patch S&box quietly and hope
Also false, and arguably the most newsworthy part of all this. The plan is a genuine course correction. Facepunch intends to prioritize S&box's core sandbox experience — more NPCs, more vehicles, better multiplayer, stronger add-on support and customization — with the stated aim of reaching and surpassing Garry's Mod's own quality. The platform is also shifting away from its "Netflix for games" curation model toward spotlighting the best and most popular user-made content, while leaning harder into Steam Workshop integration. Newman put the philosophy shift bluntly: "We're not selling an engine, we're selling a game."
Myth: S&box will stay a paid product
Not for long, by the sound of it. S&box is expected to go free-to-play toward the end of 2026, with existing owners getting exclusive Steam inventory items as a thank-you for showing up early. Newman's reasoning is almost disarmingly simple: "We don't need the entrance fee, we need players." That's a founder admitting the paywall was the wrong call, not doubling down on it.
What this actually means if you're deciding where to spend your time
Here's the honest read: Garry's Mod isn't being retired, it's being reinforced — the 64-bit update is proof the old sandbox still has runway. Meanwhile S&box, the game built to eventually take its place, is being publicly rebuilt in response to a rough reception rather than left to fade. If you're a newcomer wondering which one to install first, the answer right now is the one with sixteen years, over 25 million copies sold, and a fresh update behind it — not the one its own creator just called embarrassing.
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