Iconic Steam game Garry’s Mod recently received its most exciting update in a long time, but it doesn’t seem like it’s getting all that much love. As a 19-year-old game, Garry’s Mod doesn’t get the kind of frequent support that the biggest modern online games do, so any significant change can be exciting. That goes doubly for the July 2025 update, which finally added assets from Counter-Strike: Source and the Half-Life 2 episodes to the game.
Garry’s Mod relies heavily on Valve assets from Source Engine games, and while many maps and modes can function with the default inclusions, many also make use of resources from Counter-Strike: Source and Half-Life 2 episodes. Until the July update, anyone playing the game without having those auxiliary files installed would likely be met with placeholder textures and large Error objects in many online lobbies. While it’s a huge come-up for the game, player count numbers don’t indicate any particular interest in the update.
Garry’s Mod’s July 2025 Update Deserves More Attention
SteamDB‘s concurrent player count information for Garry’s Mod reveals stable numbers in recent years, with typical 24-hour peaks of around 30,000 players. Although game patches are often accompanied by major fluctuations in concurrent players, in this case, there’s no noticeable increase in player count associated with the July 23 release of the newest patch.
It’s a fairly easy phenomenon to explain — loyal Garry’s Mod players are likely to already have the files installed, especially since all the Counter-Strike and Half-Life games go on steep discounts regularly. Even so, I was surprised not to see any kind of spike in the data. If nothing else, the update could be a good reminder to hop on a classic experience after spending some time away.
A Stable Player Count Is Still A Good Thing For GMod
In 2025, Garry’s Mod has a lot more direct competition than ever. Fan-favorite modes like Prop Hunt have cropped up in major franchises like Call of Duty and standalone games like Witch It, while platforms like Roblox and Fortnite have continued to grow in popularity as more accessible alternatives.
Garry’s Mod isn’t getting much attention from its new update, but it’s still in a pretty fantastic position for a game of its age. Peaking at around 30,000 concurrent players daily is much better than plenty of recent AAA titles can boast.
After 19 years and so many rivals, it doesn’t look like that community will be evaporating any time soon. Long-term players might not benefit much from the addition of Counter-Strike: Source and Half-Life 2 episodic assets, but it could make getting friends on board with Garry’s Mod for the first time a little easier.
Source: SteamDB
Garry’s Mod
- Released
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November 29, 2006
- ESRB
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m
- Developer(s)
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Facepunch Studios
- Engine
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Source
- Multiplayer
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Local Co-Op