Garry’s Mod, a beloved sandbox game that originated from Valve's Source software modding scene in 2006, is undergoing major changes as Facepunch Studios grapple with takedown notices issued by Nintendo. The developers have been compelled to eliminate nearly two decades' worth of Nintendo-related content from the game due to the enforcement actions taken by the gaming giant. In a recent update on Garry’s Mod’s Steam page, Facepunch Studios confirmed that the takedowns were indeed issued by Nintendo, emphasizing that the content in question belongs to Nintendo, and it is within their rights to dictate what is permissible within their intellectual property.
The surprising aspect of Nintendo's sudden crackdown on Garry’s Mod stems from the fact that Nintendo-themed content has been a prevalent feature of the game for almost twenty years, as highlighted in a report by Kotaku. The Source engine’s versatility, combined with Garry’s Mod's popularity among gaming YouTubers in the early 2010s, contributed significantly to the widespread appeal of the game. However, Facepunch’s previous leniency when it came to content moderation likely played a role in prompting Nintendo to take action to protect its intellectual property.
The efforts to remove all Nintendo-related content from Garry’s Mod have been described as a challenging endeavor, with Facepunch Studios humorously requesting assistance from users in deleting any Nintendo-related uploads and refraining from re-uploading them. Nintendo's firm stance on safeguarding its IP rights is further exemplified by its past actions, such as the removal of the Dolphin Emulator from Steam and the $2.4 million lawsuit filed against the developers of the Nintendo Switch emulator Yuzu. These legal battles have had a chilling effect on emulator projects, leading to the closure of several other initiatives due to concerns over potential legal repercussions from Nintendo.