Garry’s Mod has released its September update on Steam. Windows players can now select 64-bit builds for the client, dedicated server and most developer tools, including Hammer. The update also reorganises parts of the spawn menu, improves the player-model selector, adds a Hacked Manhack variant and allows owners of Insurgency from 2014 to mount its content.
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The 64-bit client can use more memory in large addon collections
Large servers and dense addon collections can push a 32-bit process beyond its available address space. When that happens, reducing visual settings may not solve the crash because the problem is the amount of memory the program can address. The selectable 64-bit client gives heavy sessions more room and brings the public branch closer to the configuration many experienced users already tested.
Facepunch did not force every Windows player onto the new executable without a choice. The Steam launch options allow users to select the build that suits their collection and server. That cautious route is useful for an old, heavily modified game: one addon may depend on behaviour that another never touches, so broad compatibility is easier to establish when players can compare both paths.
Server owners and map makers receive matching 64-bit tools
A client-only change would leave administrators and map creators with a divided toolchain. The update also supplies 64-bit Windows binaries for dedicated servers and most development tools. That alignment reduces the chance that a map compiles in one environment but behaves differently when a server loads the final package with a larger set of resources.
Server owners still need a controlled changeover. A test copy should load the normal collection, rotate through several maps and record memory use before the production server switches. The September hotfix already corrected Linux mounting and startup issues, which is a reminder that the best rollout is measured. Updating quickly is useful, but replacing a working setup without a test can hide which component caused a fault.
| Area | September update |
|---|---|
| Windows client | Selectable 64-bit build |
| Server and tools | 64-bit binaries available |
| Sandbox | New NPC and menu options |
| Mounted content | Insurgency (2014), ownership required |
The spawn menu and player-model list are easier to use
Content tabs in the spawn menu can now use subcategories. That sounds modest until a collection contains hundreds of props, weapons and entities. A useful hierarchy shortens the time between an idea and the object needed to build it. Addon authors can use the same system, so the improvement does not stop with Valve and Half-Life content.
The player-model selector is larger, supports categories and renders models more clearly. Players should be able to judge a model’s proportions and materials before joining a server instead of cycling through several poor previews. These changes improve ordinary navigation rather than adding another feature that only appears in a special mode, which makes them relevant to almost every Sandbox session.
New NPC options help players build Sandbox scenarios
The Hacked Manhack appears as a selectable variation, while a Dropship spawned in Sandbox can now take damage. Both changes remove small barriers from improvised scenarios. A creator can place allied or altered machinery without writing the same workaround, and a Dropship can become an objective rather than an invulnerable decoration above the map.
Insurgency from 2014 is also available as mountable content for players who own it on Steam. Ownership remains necessary; the update does not give away the other game’s assets. Mounting simply lets Garry’s Mod read eligible maps and models from an installed library. This keeps licensing and access clear while expanding the material that communities can use.
Addon developers need to test complete sessions on the new build
A successful launch does not prove that a complex addon is ready for the 64-bit branch. Lua errors may appear only after a round change, a model may fail when the server streams it to a new client, and a tool can break when it handles an unusually large file. Authors should reproduce the actions their users perform and compare logs instead of stopping at the main menu.
For ordinary Steam players, the sensible first step is equally simple: start with the usual collection, join a familiar server and check stability before adding more content. This update does not introduce a major new mode. Its purpose is to reduce memory-related limits and improve the tools that keep Garry’s Mod Workshop collections working.
