{"id":34350,"date":"2026-05-14T13:03:04","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T13:03:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/?p=34350"},"modified":"2026-05-14T13:03:04","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T13:03:04","slug":"garrys-mod-creator-addresses-ugc-platform-challenges-in-sbox-update-focused-on-penalizing-ai-generated-thumbnails","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/?p=34350","title":{"rendered":"Garry’s Mod Creator Addresses UGC Platform Challenges in S&box Update Focused on Penalizing AI-Generated Thumbnails"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a><\/div>\n

# S&box: Facepunch Studios’ Battle Against AI-Generated Games<\/p>\n

S&box, the open-source game development platform from Facepunch Studios and the spiritual successor to Garry’s Mod, has entered the gaming landscape amid a heated debate over the proliferation of AI-generated content. With a mission to uphold human creativity, the studio has recently introduced significant updates aimed at curbing the impact of AI-generated submissions.<\/p>\n

## The Challenge of AI-Generated Content<\/p>\n

Following the game\u2019s launch, which garnered mixed reviews, Facepunch founder Garry Newman quickly acknowledged the concerns surrounding low-quality AI-generated creations that flooded the platform. In an effort to ensure the integrity and artistic quality of the user-generated content (UGC) space, Newman stated that the company would “take action to promote human creativity” and phase out “obviously AI-created slop” from visibility within the platform.<\/p>\n

In a recent update (26.05.13), Newman outlined specific measures to tackle this issue. He introduced a system where moderators can identify and mark packages with AI-generated thumbnails, reducing their visibility in lists and searches. Recognizing the temptation for developers to use AI for quick content generation, Newman noted the downside: \u201cIt does have the massive downside of making everything look like the same shit.\u201d This frustration has driven the team to actively discourage such practices.<\/p>\n

## Recognizing User Feedback<\/p>\n

Newman\u2019s candid communication included addressing criticisms captured in Steam reviews. Approximately 24% of these reviews featured complaints regarding the prevalence of low-quality AI-generated creations. He clarified that the intention of Facepunch is not to promote games that show minimal effort or are riddled with “dog shit.” Instead, the focus remains on maintaining a platform that reflects genuine creativity and effort. <\/p>\n

Additionally, around 12% of reviews mentioned concerns about NFTs within the game, to which Newman firmly responded, \u201cOf course we don’t have NFTs or blockchain stuff, and never will.\u201d <\/p>\n

## Recent Updates and Enhancements<\/p>\n

Beyond the measures addressing AI content, the recent update introduced several enhancements for the gaming experience within S&box. Three upscalers were added to assist players with lower-end GPUs or higher resolution displays, aiming to improve performance until further optimizations can be implemented. The Box3D physics engine was also updated for a more refined gameplay experience.<\/p>\n

One notable adjustment that has sparked joy among players addresses a long-standing game mechanic issue. Explosive barrels, which previously failed to explode when thrown, have now been rectified, providing a more engaging interaction with the game’s physics.<\/p>\n

## Conclusion<\/p>\n

As S&box continues to evolve, Facepunch Studios is actively navigating the challenges posed by AI-generated content while striving to foster an environment that prioritizes creativity and quality. With continuous updates and a commitment to user feedback, S&box aims to carve its niche as a vibrant UGC platform. As Garry Newman and his team address the growing pains of this ambitious project, the future of S&box looks to promote a diverse array of genuine user-generated experiences free from the pitfalls of uninspired AI creations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/div>\n

S&box<\/a>, Facepunch Studios’ open source game development platform\/spiritual successor<\/a> to Garry’s Mod<\/a> continues to fight a battle against AI-generated games early doors. After Facepunch founder Garry Newman was quick to confirm<\/a> the studio would be “taking action to promote human creativity and push obviously AI-created slop off the main page” following S&box’s launch to mixed reviews, the game’s latest update has taken aim at punishing creations with AI-generated thumbnails.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":34351,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34350","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34350","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=34350"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34350\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/34351"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=34350"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=34350"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=34350"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}