In the July 2025 update, Garry’s Mod will include Half-Life 2 and Counter-Strike: Source assets by default.
This change was made possible after Valve granted permission for the use of certain assets from these games in Garry’s Mod.
However, this doesn’t completely eliminate the need to have these games installed on your PC if you want to comfortably play maps that still rely on them.
What Has Changed?
Garry’s Mod launched in 2006, and for the last 20 years, if you wanted to play the game, you had to purchase Half-Life 2 and Counter-Strike: Source on your PC. It’s been a huge headache for many players, buying two games just to play a third isn’t exactly a smart financial move.
After the July update, however, most of the assets from Half-Life 2 episodes and Counter-Strike: Source have been made available. Voiceovers, music, and maps are excluded due to licensing issues. So, if you want those, you’ll still need to purchase the original games.
You’ll still get an error when playing community maps that use those excluded assets. But for everything else, you won’t need to buy Half-Life 2 or Counter-Strike: Source.
The update also added Half-Life 2 Episode 2 content on the spawn menu for all players by default, along with numerous bug fixes and improvements.
If you’re a long-time Garry’s Mod player, you probably already have these two games installed. But for new players, or anyone just diving in now, this change makes things a lot easier.
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