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Facepunch Studios

Facepunch Studios business and news from across the web.

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FZ.seNegative

Garry's Mod-uppföljaren S&box ska bli free-to-play

Facepunch Studios' S&box, a spiritual successor to Garry's Mod, will transition to a free-to-play model by the end of the year due to a lukewarm reception and issues with AI-generated content. Creator Garry Newman also announced a shift towards a curated platform model, requiring creators to apply for content submission, and a potential move to utilize Steam Workshop.

PC GamerNegative

'My idea of a Netflix for games doesn’t work': Garry's Mod successor is getting 'sweeping…

Facepunch Studios is implementing significant changes to its game creation platform s&box following a rocky launch. Creator Garry Newman announced a pivot away from a 'Netflix for games' model, a move towards a 'greenlight' system for user-generated games, and that the platform will become free-to-play earlier than planned. These changes aim to improve the player experience and curation of content.

Games IndustryNegative

S&box plans to go free-to-play and embrace human curation saying "Netflix for games doesn't work"

Facepunch Studios is shifting its s&box platform to a free-to-play model and will focus on human curation rather than an AI-driven approach to game discovery. Founder Garry Newman acknowledged the platform's struggles with retention and user reception, stating that a 'Netflix for games' model is not effective. The company is also moving towards the Steam Workshop for content distribution and implementing a stricter approval system for games.

PC GamerPositive

Fortnite is coming to Linux once Epic improves Easy Anti-Cheat

Epic Games plans to bring Fortnite to Linux by rebuilding its Easy Anti-Cheat system to support the operating system. This initiative aims to make the game playable on Linux distributions and will also provide improvements to other developers. While Steam Deck compatibility is being discussed with Valve, it is not yet supported by the new EAC Linux v2 solution.

PC GamesNNegative

Garry's Mod successor S&box "got it wrong," will become free to play soon

Facepunch Studios' spiritual successor to Garry's Mod, S&box, is undergoing significant changes due to poor player reception and low retention. Creator Garry Newman admitted the team "got it wrong" and announced plans to make S&box free-to-play by the end of the year, shifting focus from engine development to player-first features and improving performance.

Rock Paper ShotgunNegative

"My idea of a Netflix for games doesn’t work": Garry's Mod creator says struggling spiritual successor S&box will go free to play as part of major rethink

Facepunch Studios founder Garry Newman announced that the struggling game development platform S&box will go free-to-play later this year as part of a major rethink. Newman expressed embarrassment over the game's poor reviews and acknowledged that its "Netflix for games" approach to discovery was not working, shifting focus to player experience and improving the core sandbox game.

Retro GamerVery negative

Garry's Mod creator admits the launch of S&box "was s**t" and so was its free weekend: "There being too much content is a problem"

Garry Newman, the creator of Garry's Mod, has openly admitted that the launch of its successor, S&box, was a failure, citing issues with content flooding and a poorly executed free weekend. He acknowledges the negative impact on the community and plans to shift to a Steam Workshop model to improve the user experience.

PC GamerNegative

Garry Newman responds to s&box criticism in lengthy YouTube comment: 'I don't like giving up on things, I…

Facepunch founder Garry Newman addressed criticism of the user-generated content platform s&box in a lengthy YouTube comment, acknowledging the game's poor launch and community reception. Newman stated that the company will remove the unpopular 'citizen' character models and improve content discoverability, admitting they "fucked it" and weren't ready for launch.

PC GamesNPositive

New Rust update adds livestock, slows the race to vehicles, and finally gives spoiled meat a use

The latest Rust update introduces livestock farming, allowing players to raise cows and sheep for resources like wool and meat, and utilize spoiled meat for biofuel. The update also adds smaller wildlife, new loot rooms in monuments, and modifies the vehicle race post-wipe. Facepunch Studios has also implemented technical improvements, including a custom Unity render pipeline for potential performance gains.

PC GamerNeutral

That's some fiiiiine lookin' milk, but Rust devs warn that 'cream is a more powerful consumable'

Facepunch Studios has added livestock, including cows and sheep, to Rust as part of its October update. Players can now farm animals for resources like meat, bones, leather, milk, and wool, with an economy built around selling them to a new Stable vendor. The update also introduces new fencing for pens and highlights that cream is a more powerful consumable than milk.

PC GamerNeutral

Garry Newman adds necks to his neckless characters because the lack of necks 'comes up consistently in our many…

The default characters in the game creation platform s&box now have necks, a change implemented by creator Garry Newman and Facepunch Studios in response to consistent player feedback. While Newman personally liked the neckless design, the developers are addressing player criticism regarding character appearance, including neck size, as part of ongoing updates.

Jay Is GamesNeutral

Rust Farming: Why Your Hemp Keeps Dying and What the Letters Mean - Walkthrough, Tips, Review

This guide explains the genetics system for farming in Rust, detailing how six genetic slots influence plant growth, yield, and hardiness. It covers crossbreeding techniques, the importance of indoor farms with automated watering and lighting, and the benefits of using planters and composters. While food production is secondary, farming hemp for cloth and medical supplies is presented as a worthwhile endeavor for players seeking a less combat-focused activity.

Massively OverpoweredNeutral

RUST boss Alistair McFarlane has left Facepunch and will not be saving New World after all

Alistair McFarlane, director of RUST developer Facepunch Studios, has departed the company as of July 30th. McFarlane had previously teased potential involvement with Amazon's New World, but these rumors have now seemingly concluded with his exit from Facepunch.

PC GamerPositive

Facepunch director Alistair McFarlane, who once offered to buy New World from Amazon and faked us out about Rust 2, has…

Alistair McFarlane, director and chief operating officer of Facepunch Studios, has departed the company after an 11-year tenure. McFarlane, who was often the public face of the studio and executive producer on Rust, stated July 30th was his last day. He expressed pride in the team's achievements and the game's enduring success, attributing it to the community and consistent monthly updates. McFarlane previously made headlines for offering to buy Amazon's New World and for fueling Rust 2 rumors.

Retro GamerNegative

Half of all games released on Steam will use AI by 2028, study predicts: "AI lowers the barrier not just to make a…

A study by former developer Sulka Haro predicts that by 2028, half of all games released on Steam will incorporate AI-generated content. Currently, around 31% of new Steam games admit to using AI. Haro's analysis suggests that AI tools lower the barrier to entry for game creation, potentially increasing shovelware, though the majority of publishers have not yet released AI-assisted games.

Rock Paper ShotgunNeutral

Rust's Common Ground update adds terrifyingly realistic apartment and shop renting, forcing you to feed capricious landlords daily scrap

Rust's new Common Ground update introduces rentable apartments and shops, adding a layer of survival simulation where players must pay daily rent in scrap to landlords. Failure to pay results in eviction and seizure of possessions. The update also includes features like player-driven shop takeovers and a new clan system, alongside a limited raid window for Softcore mode.

PC GamerPositive

Rust gets even more cutthroat by adding its own version of apartment rentals

Facepunch Studios has introduced apartment rentals as a new feature in Rust, allowing players to rent rooms with various perks. The update also includes player-run shops within the apartment complex, and maintains the game's cutthroat PvP elements with eviction policies and a master key for burglary. Additionally, changes to softcore mode, a new clan system, and improved animations are part of the latest update.

PC GamesNPositive

Rust's Common Ground update lets you set up clans, a shop, or kick back in your apartment

The 'Common Ground' update for Rust introduces a new Clan system, rentable apartments at the Apartment Complex monument, and player-run shops. The update also includes progression changes for Softcore mode, such as adjusted raid times and resource multipliers, alongside updated player animations and new base wallpapers.

Games PressPositive

Jingle Jam announces charity partners for 2026 and presents 2025 awards

The annual charity event Jingle Jam has announced its eight charity partners for December 2026, including returning organizations like War Child UK and WWF, and new partners such as Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity. The event also celebrated its 2025 achievements, raising over £3.5 million and presenting awards to key content creators and industry partners like The Spiffing Brit, Facepunch Studios, and Fireshine Games.

Invision CommunityVery positive

Jingle Jam Reveals 2026 Charity Partners and Celebrates 2025 Fundraising Success | Invision Game Community

Jingle Jam has announced its eight charity partners for the 2026 event, including new additions like Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity. The announcement follows a successful 2025 campaign that raised over £3.5 million, bringing the event's lifetime total to over £31 million. The 2026 event is scheduled for December 1st to December 14th.