How to Play Satisfactory With Friends (Co-op and Servers, 2026)

To play Satisfactory with friends, load your save, open the pause menu, choose Manage Session and set the session type to Friends Only. Steam or Epic friends then join from Join Game, or with your Session ID. Co-op supports 4 players by default and the factory stops when the host quits. A dedicated server keeps the factory available to everyone and can be set above 4 players on PC.

What are the ways to play Satisfactory together?

The official Satisfactory wiki's multiplayer page lists up to four players as officially supported. PC servers can go higher through a config change, while console sessions stay at 4.

How do I host a Satisfactory session for friends?

1. Load the save you want to share, or start a new game.
2. Press Escape and choose Manage Session.
3. Set the session type:
   • Friends Only: anyone on your Steam or Epic friends list can join from their Join Game menu without an invite, and the Session ID works too.
   • Private: players can only join with an in game invite from you.
4. Copy the Session ID if a friend is not on your friends list or plays on the other store.

The host's PC runs the whole factory for everyone, on top of rendering their own game. Early on that is no problem. A late game factory with thousands of machines, trains and drones is heavy for one PC that is also playing.

How do friends join a Satisfactory session?

• From the friends list: click Join Game on the main menu and pick the host's session. This needs the session set to Friends Only.
• By Session ID: enter the ID from the host's Manage Session screen. This works for Friends Only sessions, including across Steam and Epic.
• By invite: for Private sessions, accept the invite the host sends from inside the game.

Everyone must run the same game version and branch. If one player is on Experimental and the rest on Stable, they cannot connect.

Can Steam and Epic players play Satisfactory together?

Yes. Satisfactory has crossplay between Steam and the Epic Games Store, through Epic Online Services. Steam players link their Epic account when the game prompts them, after which Steam and Epic friends can see each other's sessions and join by Session ID. The same goes for dedicated servers: both stores connect to the same server by address.

Consoles are separate. PlayStation and Xbox players can play together, but there is no crossplay between PC and console, and console versions cannot use dedicated servers.

Who keeps the save in Satisfactory co-op?

The host. A co-op factory is a normal save on the host's PC, and every player's inventory and progress in that world is stored in it. That has consequences:

• When the host quits, everyone is disconnected and production stops.
• Nobody can build alone in the shared factory while the host is away.
• Moving hosts means moving the save file. Another player can host if the save is copied to their PC, but only one copy should be played, or progress splits.

For groups that play at different times, this is where a dedicated server earns its place.

Should we use a session or a dedicated server?

The dedicated server installs through SteamCMD as app ID 1690800 and runs on Windows or Linux. Unlike most games, you set it up from inside Satisfactory: open Server Manager, add the server's address, claim it with a server name and admin password, then create a game or upload a save under Manage Saves. A fresh server belongs to whoever claims it first, so claim yours straight away. It needs port 7777 over UDP and TCP and 8888 over TCP. The full self hosted setup is in how to make a Satisfactory server, and hardware sizing in Satisfactory dedicated server requirements.

How do I move our co-op factory to a server?

1. Find the host's save. On Windows it is in %LocalAppData%\FactoryGame\Saved\SaveGames, in a folder named after the player's ID.
2. Open the dedicated server in Server Manager and sign in with the admin password.
3. Go to Manage Saves, upload the .sav file and load it.

Everyone's progress comes with it. Step by step: how to upload a Satisfactory save to a dedicated server.

How many friends can play Satisfactory together?

Four by default, in sessions and on servers. On a PC dedicated server you can raise it in Game.ini:

[/Script/Engine.GameSession]
MaxPlayers=8

Stop the server before editing, since it writes its ini files on shutdown. Coffee Stain tunes the server for 4, so each extra player costs performance, especially when players spread across different biomes. Our guide on how many players can play Satisfactory breaks down RAM by group size.

Tips for building with friends

• Agree on a main bus or train network early. Groups build fast, and spaghetti spreads faster.
• Keep the admin password to one or two people. Use a join password for everyone else.
• Build in the same region when the factory is big. Players in four biomes load four areas.
• Back up before big refactors or updates. One accidental dismantle can take out a whole production line.

FAQ

How many players can play Satisfactory co-op?

Four is the official limit. PC dedicated servers can allow more by raising MaxPlayers in Game.ini.

Can Steam and Epic players play Satisfactory together?

Yes. Link your Epic account when prompted, then join by friends list or Session ID.

Can my friends play on our factory when I am offline?

Not in a hosted session. Move the save to a dedicated server and anyone can play any time.

Is Satisfactory crossplay between PC and console?

No. Consoles can play with each other, and Steam and Epic can play together, but PC and console cannot share a session.

Do my friends need to own Satisfactory?

Yes. Every player needs their own copy. The dedicated server software is free.

Hosting your factory with us

Our Satisfactory server hosting claims the server with your admin password on its first start, so nobody else can grab it, and opens the ports for you. Your team adds the address in Server Manager and builds. Plans are 8 GB for 4 players at 19.99 USD a month, 12 GB for 8 at 29.99 USD and 16 GB for 12 at 39.99 USD, with the player limit set to match. Upgrade as the factory grows, and new customers get 50% off the first month on monthly plans.