Facepunch Studios

Facepunch Studios, also known simply as Facepunch, is a United Kingdom‑based video game developer that creates and publishes multiplayer titles for personal computers. The studio is best known for Garry’s Mod, a sandbox modification of Valve’s Source engine that allows players to build and share custom game modes, and for Rust, a persistent online survival game where players gather resources, craft items and compete or cooperate in a hostile environment. Both games are distributed primarily through the Steam platform and have attracted large, international player bases. Facepunch’s output focuses on giving players the tools to shape their own experiences within the game worlds.

A distinguishing characteristic of Facepunch is its emphasis on user‑generated content and emergent gameplay, exemplified by the extensive modding community that has grown around Garry’s Mod since its release in 2004. Rust, launched in early access in 2013 and fully released in 2018, was built on a proprietary engine and showcases the studio’s ability to develop large‑scale, persistent multiplayer systems while maintaining a strong feedback loop with its community. The company’s headquarters in the United Kingdom places it within a region that hosts a vibrant independent game development scene, and its titles have been noted for influencing trends in sandbox and survival genres. Facepunch’s development approach often involves releasing games in early access to incorporate player feedback before final launch.

Facepunch Studios remains an independent, privately held company; it was founded by Garry Newman and has not been acquired by a larger publisher or parent entity. In June 2016 the studio disclosed a data breach that exposed personal information of approximately 396,650 users, including usernames, email addresses, IP addresses, dates of birth and salted MD5 password hashes, stemming from a vulnerability in its forum software. The incident was publicly acknowledged, affected individuals were notified, and the breach data was later shared with a notification service by a white‑hat researcher. This event is recorded as a notable security episode in the studio’s history.