Modder Dav0r, creator of the iconic Garry’s Mod toolgun, has died-

Source engine modder Dave Hunt, better known as Dav0r online, died last week of an undisclosed cause, friends have confirmed. He was 35 years old. 

Dav0r, who described himself as a “casual 2D/3D artist,” wasn’t widely known among PC gamers, but you’ve likely seen or used one of his creations: the model for the Garry’s Mod toolgun, a revolver affixed with an LCD screen and ribbon cable. It looks like this:

The item fulfills all sorts of functions in Facepunch’s sandbox Source engine mod, such as welding objects together or attaching ropes between them. Like the gravity gun from Half-Life 2, the toolgun ironically channels the tendency of videogames to make guns the solution to all problems. It predates Portal’s portal gun in that respect, as well as modern VR controllers, which have a toolgun-like quality: you grip and point them like pistols but often pull their triggers to click buttons or perform other entirely non-gun-like functions.

Dav0r created the toolgun model as a teenager: The first version of Garry’s Mod released in 2004, and the first standalone version in 2006, published by Valve. Garry Newman, the namesake of Garry’s Mod and founder of Facepunch Studios, knew Dav0r for 20 years.

“Like most Facepunchers, he didn’t take things too seriously, always joking, easygoing,” Newman told PC Gamer in an email. “I was shocked and saddened to hear of his passing. It was so unexpected that I did consider it might be a joke—because that was exactly his sense of humour.”

“Dav0r made a significant impact on our community, leaving a lasting legacy,” wrote close friend and former Facepunch community manager Hezzy, who announced Dav0r’s death on the studio’s Discord server. “We’ll forever cherish his unique brand of humour.”

Dav0r also contributed numerous 3D models to “Facepunch forum fan project” Jabroni Brawl 3, another Source engine mod, Hezzy told PC Gamer. 

Last year, Dav0r posted a remade toolgun model on his Art Station page:

“I designed the original as a kid, and the aesthetic of this ‘janky’ DIY design was an instant winner,” wrote Dav0r about the revamped toolgun. “I felt it only right to remake the classic and bring it forward into the current decade.”

A wake will take place in October for members of the Facepunch community, and Hezzy is gathering recollections to share with Dav0r’s family. 

“We will deeply feel his absence, and his memory will always hold a special place in our hearts,” Hezzy wrote.

Related Posts

Here are your GDC 2016 Narrative Summit poster session winners

Nice bit of news today from the organizers of GDC 2016 and its Game Narrative Summit, who are proud to announce the winners of the 2016 edition of the annual Student Narrative…

Iron Galaxy co-CEO Adam Boyes to exit after 8-year stint

Adam Boyes, longtime co-CEO of Iron Galaxy, has departed the Rumbleverse studio. Per the developer's website, he'll remain with the company until the end of the year….

Now’s the time to submit talks for the GDC 2018 Tutorials!

If you have a great pitch for a session that would be a good fit for one of the many Tutorials offered at Game Developers Conference 2018, organizers want to hear…

Marvel Vs. Capcom Infinite & Beyond Fan Mod Gives The Game A Visual Reboot This Week

There hasn’t been a new game in the Marvel vs. Capcom series since Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite was released in 2017. Now, players may have a good…

8 Disney-Owned TV Channels Dropped From Major Cable Provider, But ESPN Is Back

Disney and Charter Communications have reached a deal, ending a 10-day deadlock that left subscribers to the No. 2 cable operator in the US without ESPN and…

AMD Radeon RX 7000 Series Releases On December 19

AMD announced the Radeon RX 7000 series of graphics cards today. The series includes two models: the RX 7900 XTX and the RX 7900 XT. Both models…