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:
(Image credit: Facepunch Studios)
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:
(Image credit: Dav0r)
“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.