‘We don’t have to fire 1000 people to keep it working’: Facepunch Studios says paying s&box game developers is sustainable, with ‘$500,000 paid out to date’
Facepunch Studios is launching s&box, a game creation platform and the spiritual successor to the acclaimed Garry’s Mod, on Steam on April 28, 2026. Built on Valve’s Source Engine 2, s&box is a physics sandbox toolkit designed to enable developers to create, test, and share games.
The studio has announced that its developer compensation model is financially sustainable. Facepunch has already paid out $500,000 to creators on the platform and stated they don’t need to lay off significant staff to keep operations running—specifically noting they don’t need to “fire 1000 people to keep it working.” This statement appears to be a direct response to industry layoffs and suggests confidence in their revenue model’s long-term viability.
The platform emphasizes developer ownership and fair economics. Creators can export their games standalone to Steam, maintaining complete control over their work. Facepunch promises transparency with “no hidden percentages, no rug pulls,” signaling that developers keep what they earn without surprise fees or exploitative practices. This approach contrasts with some live-service and platform ecosystems that have faced criticism for opaque revenue sharing.
The launch represents Facepunch’s bet on sustainable platform economics during a period of significant industry turbulence.