Garry's Mod Successor S&box Enters Open Beta Next Week

Do you love Garry's Mod, but wish you could play a more advanced version of it? That's what the S&box open beta wants to give you


Published: July 26, 2021 9:50 AM /

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One of the character models in Garry's Mod spiritual successor S&box

If you love Garry's Mod but you want to play something new, then you're in luck. Garry's Mod spiritual successor S&box (yes, it's pronounced "sandbox") enters open beta next week, so if you want to get stuck in, you don't have long to wait until you can test the game out.

How do you get into the S&box open beta?

S&box developer Garry Newman announced the availability of beta keys for the game yesterday via Discord. Rather than giving you a Steam key, the beta will rely on an external site that will verify your Steam account based on your ID. This means the devs have absolute control over who's authorized to access the beta, so if anyone does something untoward, their access can be revoked immediately. When the beta does become available, all you'll need to do is head over to the official S&box website to gain access.

A group of citizens putting together a jigsaw puzzle in S&box
S&box will give you the tools to make your own weird Source 2 creations when it enters open beta next week.

It's worth noting that many of S&box's features are still in the nascent stages of development, so if you do enter the open beta, don't expect to play something as polished as Garry's Mod. You will be able to use it to make custom game modes, Source Filmmaker projects, or maps and models, though. S&box was originally an Unreal Engine game, but it's now moved to Source 2, meaning you'll be able to use its assets in Source 2 modding tools like Source Filmmaker, Hammer, and ModelDoc.

What is S&box?

S&box developer Facepunch describes it as an attempt to create "a worthy Garry's Mod sequel". The devs say they hope it won't just be Garry's Mod 2, though; they want it to surpass everything Garry's Mod is capable of. At its heart, just like Garry's Mod, it's a physics sandbox that gives you access to a wide range of assets and asks you to create whatever you want with them.

A rather sinister shot of two citizens in S&box
S&box has its own range of assets, but you'll be able to import your own as well.

 S&box will come with a range of assets including characters, maps, and objects, but since it's a Garry's Mod sequel, you will, of course, be able to import your own. Naturally, since the game will be in open beta, there will be plenty of stuff that isn't available yet, but it should be more than enough for you to get started if you're a budding Source 2 creative. S&box enters open beta next week, so keep an eye on its website for news on how to get yourself involved.

Will you be checking out the S&box open beta? Let us know in the comments below!

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Joe has been writing for TechRaptor for five years, and in those five years has learned a lot about the gaming industry and its foibles. He’s originally an… More about Joseph