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S&Box Release Date: When Does S&Box Launch on Steam?

Published April 16, 2026 — Last updated April 16, 2026

S&Box officially launches on Steam on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. After nearly five years of closed development by Facepunch Studios (the makers of Garry's Mod and Rust), the spiritual successor to GMod is finally opening up to the public. This guide covers everything you need to know about the S&Box release date, what the launch includes, and — from a market perspective — what it means for S&Box item prices.

When Does S&Box Release?

S&Box releases on April 28, 2026. It goes live on Steam under App ID 590830. Closed access is ending and the game becomes publicly available to anyone on Steam — Facepunch has confirmed this is a full public launch, not another limited beta.

How Much Will S&Box Cost?

As of writing, Facepunch has not publicly confirmed the retail price for S&Box. Based on comparable Facepunch releases (Rust launched at $19.99, Garry's Mod at $9.99), most of the community expects S&Box to launch in the $10–$20 range. The game has been free for closed-access holders up to this point.

What's Included at Launch?

  • The full S&Box sandbox — the engine, the editor, and the Hammer-like map creation tools.
  • Player-made gamemodes — built-in browser for community-created gamemodes, the way GMod handles addons.
  • The Steam Workshop integration for sharing maps, models, and gamemodes.
  • The Steam Community Market — already live for S&Box cosmetics. 72+ items are currently tradable on the market, including event drops from Christmas 2024–2025, Easter 2026, and Halloween 2025.

What Happens to the S&Box Market on Launch Day?

This is where it gets interesting for anyone holding S&Box items. When a game with an existing Steam Market launches publicly, three things historically happen:

  1. A buyer rush — new players want cosmetics immediately. Prices on popular items typically spike 30–200% in the first 48 hours.
  2. A supply increase — existing holders sell into the demand, partially cushioning the price spike. Limited items (where supply is capped) see the biggest gains.
  3. Volume explodes— 24-hour trading volume jumps 10–50x for popular items, which reveals the "real" market price of low-volume items for the first time.

For a deeper dive into the launch-day price dynamics and our predictions for specific S&Box items, see the S&Box launch price predictions guide.

What Should I Do Before Launch?

  • Decide your strategy early.If you're holding limited items, are you selling into the spike or holding for a longer cycle? Have a plan before April 28.
  • Track current prices. Use the S&Box Tracker market page to see every item's current price, 24-hour change, and supply. Knowing the pre-launch baseline makes launch-day decisions easier.
  • Set up a portfolio. If you already own items, import your Steam inventory so you can watch P&L in real time during the spike.
  • Set price alerts (Premium).Alerts trigger when items hit a target price, so you don't have to babysit the market during launch week.
  • Make sure your Steam Mobile Authenticator is enabled. Without it, trades and market transactions take 15 days to complete. Not great during a fast-moving spike.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is S&Box the same as Garry's Mod 2?

Not officially, but yes in spirit. Facepunch has called S&Box the "spiritual successor" to Garry's Mod. It's built on Source 2, written in C# (instead of GMod's Lua), and designed for modern multiplayer from the start. Most of the Garry's Mod community is expected to migrate to S&Box over time.

Can I play S&Box right now?

Only if you already have closed-access keys from Facepunch's developer preview program. For everyone else, public access begins April 28, 2026.

Will the S&Box market get new items at launch?

Very likely. Facepunch has been releasing seasonal cosmetics throughout closed access (Christmas, Halloween, Easter, Lunar New Year), and history suggests a launch-day drop is coming. We'll update the market page the moment new items are listed.

Where can I buy S&Box on launch day?

S&Box will be sold through Steam — the App ID is 590830. The game page is already live on Steam but currently shows closed access only. On April 28, it flips to public.

Is S&Box free to play?

No, S&Box is a paid game (price to be confirmed closer to launch). However, once you own it, all cosmetics are optional — the Steam Community Market sells cosmetics, not gameplay features. The game's mechanics, sandbox, and community gamemodes are free after the initial purchase.

Want to track the S&Box market? Live prices for all 72 items. Or sign in with Steam to build your pre-launch portfolio in under a minute.