History of Garry's Mod in Timeline
Garry's Mod, a sandbox game developed by Facepunch Studios and published by Valve, was released in 2006. The game, which has no set objectives, allows players to manipulate objects within a virtual world. Popular game modes, including Trouble in Terrorist Town and Prop Hunt, are available as user-created mods. Developed by Garry Newman, it originated as a mod for Valve's Source game engine in 2004 before becoming a standalone release in 2006. With versions available for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux, Garry's Mod has sold over 20 million copies. A successor, Sandbox, has been in development since 2015.
December 2004: Garry Newman Creates Garry's Mod
Garry Newman created the first version of Garry's Mod as a side project while working on his game Facewound. The first iteration was released in December 2004.
December 2004: Garry's Mod First Released
Garry's Mod was initially released as a mod for Valve's Source game engine in December 2004.
November 2005: Garry's Mod Version 9.0.4 Released
Through 2004 and 2005, Garry Newman released several updated versions of Garry's Mod, adding features and culminating in version 9.0.4 in November 2005.
2005: PC Mod of the Year
Garry's Mod received recognition as the "PC Mod of the Year" by GameSpy in 2005.
November 2006: Garry's Mod Standalone Release
After its success as a mod, Garry's Mod was expanded and released as a standalone game on Steam in November 2006.
November 2006: Standalone Garry's Mod Released on Steam
Valve partnered with Facepunch Studios to release a commercial, standalone version of Garry's Mod on Steam in November 2006. It was priced at US$\$10.
2007: Best Cooperative Mods
GamesRadar recognized Garry's Mod as one of the best mods for cooperative gameplay in 2007.
2008: Half-Life: Full Life Consequences Machinima
The popularity of Garry's Mod as a creative tool was highlighted by the emergence of machinima like "Half-Life: Full Life Consequences" in 2008, showcasing the game's potential for storytelling and animation.
July 2009: GMod Tower Server Launched
PixelTail Games launched the GMod Tower server in July 2009, a social and gaming platform built within Garry's Mod that gained immense popularity.
2009: "Fretta Contest" Launched
In 2009, Facepunch Studios launched the "Fretta Contest," challenging developers to create innovative game modes for Garry's Mod using the Fretta programming framework.
July 2010: Trouble in Terrorist Town Added
The popular Trouble in Terrorist Town (TTT) game mode, a social deduction game, was officially added to Garry's Mod in July 2010 after winning the "Fretta Contest".
September 2010: Mac OS X Version Released
A port of Garry's Mod for Mac OS X was released in September 2010.
September 2010: Mac OS X Port Released
Garry's Mod was ported to Mac OS X in September 2010, expanding its availability to a wider audience.
April 2012: GMod Tower Temporary Shutdown
GMod Tower experienced a temporary shutdown between January and April 2012, signifying the challenges of managing large-scale Garry's Mod communities.
December 2012: Kinect Support Added
Support for Kinect, a motion tracking peripheral, was added to the Windows version of Garry's Mod in December 2012.
June 2013: Linux Port Released
Garry's Mod was further ported to Linux in June 2013, demonstrating its adaptability and growing community.
June 2013: Linux Client Introduced
When Garry's Mod was transitioned to Valve's SteamPipe content delivery system in June 2013, an experimental Linux client was also released.
September 2015: Garry's Mod 2 in Early Development
In September 2015, Newman revealed that a sequel to Garry's Mod was in early development. He expressed interest in incorporating virtual reality content and choosing a different name for the sequel.
2015: Development of Successor Begins
In 2015, Facepunch Studios began development on a successor to Garry's Mod, titled Sandbox, showcasing their commitment to evolving the sandbox genre.
April 2016: Tower Unite Early Access Release
PixelTail Games expanded GMod Tower into a standalone game, Tower Unite, which launched in early access in April 2016, marking a transition from Garry's Mod.
September 2017: Sandbox Announced as Potential Spiritual Successor
Newman announced "Sandbox," a sandbox game using Unreal Engine 4, in September 2017 as a possible spiritual successor to Garry's Mod. This announcement generated excitement among fans eager for a new game with similar creative possibilities.
2017: Must-Own Sandbox Game
Rock Paper Shotgun called Garry's Mod a "must-own sandbox game" in 2017, acknowledging its enduring appeal and influence.
December 2019: Development on Sandbox Paused
Development on "Sandbox" was paused by December 2019. This announcement disappointed some fans who were eagerly anticipating the game's release.
2019: Best Sandbox Games on PC
Garry's Mod's legacy was further solidified in 2019 when PCGamesN included it in their list of the "best sandbox games on PC."
March 2020: Sandbox Development Resumed and Engine Change
Newman resumed development on "Sandbox" in March 2020, bringing renewed hope to those awaiting its release. He also decided to switch the game's engine to Source 2, potentially impacting its development and gameplay.
September 2021: 20 Million Copies Sold
By September 2021, Garry's Mod had achieved a remarkable milestone, selling over 20 million copies and solidifying its place as a popular sandbox game.
June 2022: Addon Sabotage
The Garry's Mod community experienced controversy in June 2022 when the creator of popular addons sabotaged their work, displaying shocking content and highlighting the vulnerability of user-generated content.
April 2023: Nazi Imagery Banned
Facepunch Studios took a stance against hate speech in April 2023 by banning the glorification of Nazism on Garry's Mod servers, reflecting the responsibility of online platforms in moderating content.
April 2024: Nintendo Content Removal
In April 2024, Facepunch Studios began removing Nintendo-related content from the Garry's Mod Steam Workshop following a takedown request from Nintendo, highlighting the complexities of copyright and intellectual property in user-generated content.