Half-Life 2

Half-Life 2

175 ratings
Installing Source Engine Mods
By Jimo
I will give you information on where to find and how to install mods made by the community for the Source Engine. You'll need to own at least one Source Engine powered game before you can follow along with this guide.
   
Award
Favorite
Favorited
Unfavorite
Downloading Mods
Whenever you use a third party website for downloading mods always practice safe browsing habits; Steam Support has a great article on this which can be found here.

You can browse and download numerous mods for the Source Engine on the Steam storefront by clicking here. Some titles will allow you to install the mod directly through Steam without needing to manually place the files in the Sourcemods folder.



ModDB is a fantastic website where you can find thousands of fully released and in-development mods for Source Engine games such as Half-Life 2. To begin searching through the database click here.




Some of the most popular mods can be found below. Always check on the mod's website before downloading to make sure it works with the current version of the Source SDK and with your operating system.

Installing Mods
Before you begin installing a mod you've downloaded, read through the installation instructions. Some mods will require a specific Source Engine SDK to be installed before they will be playable. It's also important to make sure that the mod you've downloaded is compatible with your operating system before attempting to install it.

The main directory of the mod must be installed in the following directories. If the mod you're installing has an installer wizard, this is where you'd point it to. You will need to have run a Source Engine game or the SDK at least once for the directory to appear.

Program Files/Steam/SteamApps/sourcemods

Example: Program Files/Steam/SteamApps/sourcemods/modname


/Users/Username/Library/Application Support/Steam/SteamApps/sourcemods

Example: /Users/Username/Library/Application Support/Steam/SteamApps/sourcemods/modname


~/.local/share/Steam/SteamApps/sourcemods

Example: ~/.local/share/Steam/SteamApps/sourcemods/modname

Once you've installed the files into their own folder within the Sourcemods directory you'll need to restart Steam. Once Steam has been restarted you'll see the mod in your game library.



Whenever you're playing a mod you'll have access to the Steam friends network and some overlay features such as being able to take and upload screenshots. It will also display to your friends and on your Steam profile what mod you're playing.



If you'd like to uninstall a mod, return to your Sourcemods directory and delete the folder for the mod you made when installing it. Once Steam has been restarted it will no longer be display in your games library.
46 Comments
Tool. Jun 8 @ 11:50pm 
apparently you have to install into your primary steam folder, i.e.

C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\sourcemods - ✅ works
D:\Steam\SteamApps\sourcemods - ❌ doesn't work
Lieutenant Kara Thrace Dec 19, 2024 @ 7:00pm 
If your mod dont show up, make sure to search for it on your library as it might be ocult
itznitro Feb 26, 2024 @ 1:20pm 
my sdks are installed on my d drive when steam is on my c drive do i need to move my sdks from d to c?
𓅃 スノ 𓅃 Dec 30, 2023 @ 5:00am 
we need source sdk 2013 installed?
RaysTheOtterFox Apr 26, 2022 @ 5:54pm 
I'm confused, is there already a sourcemod file or do I need to make one
oklpo908 Jul 31, 2021 @ 3:12pm 
help the Sourcemods folder wont appear on my directory even though i have the SDK installed and run the source SDK itself. Is it because i have all the Source SDKs?
Bed Betch Jun 1, 2021 @ 10:10pm 
@chinanechy1989 - Reddit Protogen, yes Moddb is safe.
~[ Tangle the Lemur ]~ May 24, 2021 @ 9:58pm 
im questioning is modb safe
Starbuilder Jan 26, 2021 @ 10:44pm 
I've installed to sourcemods/ and restarted Steam, but alas, no mods.
freecheckup26rt5t4r5g5f-cxv1cx.. Nov 12, 2020 @ 2:25pm 
I put the source mod in the folder and restarted steam and it wont show up