How to Host a Satisfactory Dedicated Server

Setting up a Satisfactory dedicated server is straightforward - Coffee Stain’s official server support makes the initial launch pretty painless. The real work shows up later: handling updates when Coffee Stain patches (which happens frequently on the experimental branch), setting up and managing backups, monitoring performance as your factory grows.

This guide walks through both the setup and the operational reality. We’ll focus primarily on Linux since it’s the better platform for game servers (lower overhead, easier automation), but we’ll note where Windows differs if that’s what you’re working with.

What You’ll Need Before Starting

Before touching SteamCMD, make sure your hardware can actually handle what you’re planning to build.

Hardware Requirements

Coffee Stain lists 8GB RAM and a quad-core CPU as minimums, but those numbers assume a small factory with a handful of players. In practice, most people running persistent servers settle around 16GB of RAM. That gives you headroom when your factory starts growing across multiple biomes and you’ve got automation running 24/7.

CPU usage scales with world complexity. A fresh save with a couple players building starter bases barely touches the processor. Six months in with a nuclear power plant, train networks, and drone logistics - you’ll see higher sustained CPU load. The good news: Satisfactory isn’t as CPU-hungry as some survival games, but if you’re planning a mega-factory, don’t cheap out on processor specs.

Storage is less of a concern early on. Save files start small, but they grow as you place more objects and eventually you’ll need to upgrade your disk if you plan on playing for a long period of time. Add mods to the mix and you’ll want a few extra gigs of breathing room.

Software Prerequisites

You’ll need SteamCMD to download and update the server files. On Linux, you’ll also want screen or tmux for session management - this lets the server keep running after you disconnect from SSH.

Network Requirements

Satisfactory uses two ports by default as of patch 1.1.0.0:

• 7777 (game traffic)
• 8888 (reliable port)

If you’re behind a router, you’ll need to forward these. If you’re on a VPS, check whether your provider’s firewall allows them through. Most do, but it’s worth verifying before you troubleshoot “server not appearing” for an hour.

Installing the Satisfactory Dedicated Server

On Linux (Recommended)

Linux gives you better resource efficiency and makes automation easier down the line. Here’s the setup process.

Create a Dedicated User

Don’t run game servers as root. Create a user specifically for this:

sudo adduser satisfactory
sudo su - satisfactory

Install SteamCMD

If SteamCMD isn’t already on your system:

# For Ubuntu/Debian
sudo add-apt-repository multiverse
sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo apt update
sudo apt install steamcmd

# For other distros, check Valve's SteamCMD wiki for specific instructions

Download the Server Files

Create a directory for the server and use SteamCMD to pull the files:

mkdir ~/SatisfactoryServer
cd ~/SatisfactoryServer
steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 1690800 validate +quit

The 1690800 is Satisfactory’s dedicated server app ID. The validate flag checks file integrity - useful for catching incomplete downloads.

This takes a few minutes depending on your connection. The server files land in a FactoryGame subdirectory.

Directory Structure

After installation, you’ll have:

• FactoryGame/Binaries/Linux/ - server executables
• FactoryGame/Saved/ - where save files and config live
• FactoryGame/Config/ - server settings

On Windows

Windows works, but you lose some of the automation advantages. Here’s the parallel process:

1. Download SteamCMD for Windows from Valve’s site
2. Extract it to a folder (e.g., C:\SteamCMD\)
3. Run steamcmd.exe and enter:

login anonymous
app_update 1690800 validate
quit

The files download to C:\SteamCMD\steamapps\common\SatisfactoryDedicatedServer\ by default.

Why Linux is preferred: resource overhead is lower, scripting updates and backups is cleaner, and you’re not fighting Windows Update reboots. If you’re comfortable with Linux, use it.

Initial Server Configuration

The server ships with default settings that work for testing but need adjustment for real use.

Edit Server Settings

Navigate to FactoryGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/ (or WindowsServer/ on Windows) and open Game.ini. If it doesn’t exist, create it.

Here’s what most people change:

[/Script/FactoryGame.FGServerSubsystem]
mServerGameState=(ServerSessionName="Your Server Name",AdminPassword="YourSecurePassword",ServerRestartTimeSlot=0,bAutoSaveOnDisconnect=True)

Replace "Your Server Name" with whatever you want players to see in the server browser. Set a strong admin password - this controls access to admin commands in-game.

ServerRestartTimeSlot controls daily restart timing (0 = midnight). bAutoSaveOnDisconnect=True saves the world when the last player leaves, which is helpful for preventing progress loss.

Save File Management

If you’re migrating an existing save from single-player or another server, drop it into FactoryGame/Saved/SaveGames/server/.

The server creates a new save on first launch if none exists. You can have multiple saves, but the server loads whichever one you specify in the launch command (or the most recent by default).

Starting Your Server

On Linux

Use screen or tmux so the server persists when you log out:

cd ~/SatisfactoryServer
screen -S satisfactory
./FactoryGame/Binaries/Linux/FactoryServer-Linux-Shipping FactoryGame -log

Press Ctrl+A then D to detach from the screen session. The server keeps running.

To reattach later: screen -r satisfactory

On Windows

Open Command Prompt or PowerShell, navigate to the server directory, and run:

FactoryServer.exe FactoryGame -log

Keep the window open - closing it stops the server. For persistent hosting, consider setting it up as a Windows service (more involved, but lets the server survive reboots) or use Linux (again, we recommend Linux for game servers).

Verify It’s Running

Check the console output for LogNet: Join succeeded: messages when you connect. If you see warnings about ports, double-check your firewall and port forwarding.

Open Satisfactory, go to Server Manager, and your server should appear if it’s on the same network. For remote connections, use the IP address directly.

The Ongoing Maintenance Reality

This is where self-hosting shifts from “fun project” to “recurring task.”

Updates and Patches

Coffee Stain pushes updates frequently, especially on the experimental branch. Each update requires you to stop the server, run SteamCMD to download new files, and restart.

Manual Update Process:

# Stop the server first (find the process and kill it, or use screen to access and Ctrl+C)
cd ~/SatisfactoryServer
steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 1690800 validate +quit
# Restart the server

If you’re on experimental and Coffee Stain releases a patch, your server becomes incompatible with updated clients until you manually update. Players get kicked with version mismatch errors. There’s no grace period.

Timing updates means warning your players ahead of time and coordinating downtime. If you’ve got people across timezones building together, finding a convenient window gets annoying fast.

Backups and Save Management

Save files can corrupt. Power loss during a save, a bad mod interaction, or just random filesystem weirdness - it happens. If you don’t have backups, you’re starting over.

Manual Backup Strategy:

Copy FactoryGame/Saved/SaveGames/server/ to a separate location regularly. How often depends on your tolerance for lost progress. Daily backups mean you might lose a day’s work. Hourly backups mean more storage churn but less risk.

Script this with cron on Linux:

0 */6 * * * cp -r ~/SatisfactoryServer/FactoryGame/Saved/SaveGames/server/ ~/backups/satisfactory-$(date +\%Y\%m\%d-\%H\%M)/

That runs every 6 hours. Adjust as needed.

Save files grow over time. A fresh world might be 5MB. After months of building, you could hit 50MB or more, especially with mods. Factor this into your backup storage planning.

Performance Monitoring

You won’t know when you need more RAM or CPU unless you’re watching. On Linux, use htop or top to check resource usage while the server runs. On Windows, Task Manager works.

Satisfactory’s CPU usage climbs with factory complexity. More machines, more entities, more calculations per tick. RAM usage grows with world size and active objects. If you notice stuttering or lag spikes as your factory expands, resource limits are often part of the story.

There’s no built-in performance dashboard unless you have a host that provides it (which WinterNode does) or if you set one up yourself (very complex, we won’t be covering how to do that in this post). Otherwise, you’re manually checking and correlating lag reports from players and trying to determine resource usage manually.

Server Restarts and Uptime

Servers need restarts. After crashes, during updates, or when performance degrades after running for days straight. On managed hosting, this is automated. On self-hosted, you’re doing it manually unless you script it.

If a player’s mid-session when you restart, they lose unsaved progress. Coordinate timing or accept that someone’s going to be annoyed occasionally.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

Server Not Appearing in Browser

Check firewall rules first. On Linux (ufw):

sudo ufw allow 7777/udp
sudo ufw allow 8888/udp

On Windows, allow the ports through Windows Firewall.

If you’re on a VPS, check the provider’s firewall panel. Some VPS providers block UDP by default.

Version Mismatch Between Client and Server

This happens when Coffee Stain releases a patch and you haven’t updated yet. Run the SteamCMD update command, restart the server, and have players verify their game files if needed.

Performance Degradation with Large Factories

Late-game factories with thousands of objects tax the CPU. If you’re seeing TPS drops (ticks per second below 60), you’re hitting limits. Options: upgrade your hardware, optimize your factory (reduce active machines, consolidate production lines), or accept that mega-factories are inherently demanding.

RAM is less often the bottleneck, but if you’re getting out-of-memory crashes, bump your allocation.

Save File Issues

If the server won’t load a save, check for corruption. Restore from your most recent backup. This is why having backups matters - save corruption is rare but not unheard of.

The Managed Hosting Alternative

Self-hosting gives you control. You pick the hardware, configure everything exactly how you want, and don’t pay recurring fees beyond the VPS cost. The tradeoff: you’re the one handling updates, backups, monitoring, and troubleshooting when things break.

Managed hosting trades control for time. Updates happen automatically, backups run on schedule (twice daily at 2 AM and 2 PM in our case), and if something goes wrong, you’re opening a ticket instead of digging through logs at midnight.

Cost-wise: a basic VPS that can handle 8GB RAM runs around $15-30/month depending on provider. You’re also investing time in setup and ongoing maintenance. With managed hosting at $1.99/GB, 16GB costs about $32/month - comparable to the VPS cost, but without the operational overhead. You’re not nickel-and-dimed for CPU usage, storage, or features like automatic updates.

If you enjoy tinkering and want full control, self-hosting is rewarding. If you’d rather spend your time building factories instead of maintaining servers, managed hosting makes sense. Neither approach is wrong - it depends on what you value more.

Get Started with WinterNode

We’re biased, but WinterNode exists because we wanted hosting that didn’t nickel-and-dime people. All our Game Servers are priced at $1.99/GB of RAM - we don’t charge extra for CPU usage, storage space, or basic features that other hosts mark up.

Everything’s backed by our 48-hour refund policy, so there’s no risk in trying things out. Plans start at 8GB and go up to 24GB, with most players settling around 16GB for comfortable headroom as their factories scale.

Updates happen automatically, saves run on schedule, and we take backups twice daily (2 AM and 2 PM CT). You’re not scripting cron jobs or babysitting the server - you’re just playing the game.

Got questions? Our support team responds to tickets with actual humans, and we’re active on Discord if you prefer chatting there. We also have a Satisfactory setup guide in our help center if you want to get into the details.