How to set up a Satisfactory online game server

How to Set Up a Satisfactory Online Game Server — Overview and Prerequisites

Satisfactory is a multiplayer engine-based factory building game. Unreal is often a reliable dedicated server or VPS for a stable multiplayer experience. This guide covers everything from choosing a location and hardware to installing on Windows or Linux, network and firewall settings, optimization, security, backups, and mod management.

Prerequisites and initial decision-making

Before you begin the installation, you need to decide what operating system the server will run on, what the appropriate location is, and what resources you need.

• Operating system: Windows Server (simpler and compatible with official binaries) or Linux (lower cost, allows for automation with systemd but usually comes with Proton/Wine).
• Location: The closest data center to the players; if the players are scattered, multiple servers can be set up in different locations (the company in question has 85+ global locations is).
• Suggested Initial Resources (6–12 Players): 4 dedicated core CPU, 8–16GB RAM, 40+GB NVMe SSD, 1Gbps network. For crowds or heavy mods, more CPU and RAM are required.
• Access: Steam / SteamCMD account or access to the Dedicated Server package according to the game version (check) SteamDB or documentation for AppID and distribution name).

Network ports and connections

Common ports (may vary depending on server version; be sure to check with official documentation or SteamDB Coordinate):

• UDP 7777 — Main game port (listen)
• UDP 15000 — query/heartbeat/Beacon (server search)
• UDP/TCP 27015 — Steam/Steamworks ports (in some versions)

Practical tips:

• Open these ports in the firewall and network panel.
• To reduce ping, the data center with Peering Okay and choose the appropriate BGP route.
• If it's a public server, use hardware/network-based Anti-DDoS (the company's Anti-DDoS service can be activated in 85+ locations).

Installation and Setup — Option 1: Windows Server (recommended for most users)

Install and download Dedicated Server

General steps:

1. Provision of a VPS or Windows server (preferably Windows Server 2019/2022) with the recommended specifications.
2. Install Steam or SteamCMD. Log in with the Steam client and search for “Satisfactory Dedicated Server” in the Tools section. Use the following commands with SteamCMD.

.\steamcmd.exe +login anonymous +force_install_dir C:\SatisfactoryServer +app_update <APPID> validate +quit

Note: <APPID> Get it from SteamDB or the game documentation.

Setting the startup file and parameters

In the server folder, a file start.bat Create and configure the following example according to your executable file:

@echo off
cd /d "C:\SatisfactoryServer\Binaries\Win64"
start "" "FactoryServer.exe" /Game/FactoryGame/Maps/Factory?listen?SessionName="MyServer"?MaxPlayers=8 -log -Port=7777 -QueryPort=15000 -unattended

Tips:

• SessionName This is the name that will be displayed in the server list.
• MaxPlayers Adjust based on server resources.
• To run as a service you can use NSSM Use to automatically start the server after reboot.

Setting up Windows Firewall

To open ports from PowerShell:

New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Satisfactory UDP 7777" -Direction Inbound -Protocol UDP -LocalPort 7777 -Action Allow
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Satisfactory UDP 15000" -Direction Inbound -Protocol UDP -LocalPort 15000 -Action Allow

Installation and Setup — Option 2: Linux (Debian/Ubuntu) with SteamCMD + Proton

Warning: The official server binary may be Windows-only; on Linux, SteamCMD + Proton or Wine is usually used, which is more complex but cost-effective.

Installing Prerequisites and SteamCMD

Example commands for Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install -y steamcmd lib32gcc-s1 curl unzip

sudo adduser --disabled-login --gecos "Satisfactory Server" sfsrv
sudo mkdir -p /opt/satisfactory
sudo chown sfsrv:sfsrv /opt/satisfactory

Download server with SteamCMD (generic example)

Running SteamCMD with the server user:

sudo -u sfsrv -i
steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir /opt/satisfactory +app_update <APPID> validate +quit

Note: Check it out on SteamDB.

Running a server with Proton

Example start.sh script to run with Proton (adjust the Proton path to your installation):

#!/bin/bash
export STEAM_COMPAT_CLIENT_INSTALL_PATH=/home/sfsrv/.steam
export PROTON_NO_ESYNC=1
cd /opt/satisfactory/Binaries/Win64
/home/sfsrv/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/Proton\ 6.3/proton run ./FactoryServer.exe /Game/FactoryGame/Maps/Factory?listen?SessionName="MyServer"?MaxPlayers=8 -log -Port=7777 -QueryPort=15000 -unattended

chmod +x start.sh

Example unit for systemd:

[Unit]
Description=Satisfactory Dedicated Server
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=sfsrv
WorkingDirectory=/opt/satisfactory/Binaries/Win64
ExecStart=/opt/satisfactory/start.sh
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=10

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now satisfactory.service

Opening ports in Linux (UFW example)

sudo ufw allow 7777/udp
sudo ufw allow 15000/udp
sudo ufw allow 22/tcp
sudo ufw enable

Optimize performance and reduce ping

Operating system settings (Linux)

Examples for improving networking and I/O:

sudo sysctl -w net.core.somaxconn=1024
sudo sysctl -w net.core.rmem_max=16777216
sudo sysctl -w net.core.wmem_max=16777216
sudo sysctl -w net.ipv4.udp_mem="8388608 12582912 16777216"

To make values permanent, store them in /etc/sysctl.conf or file under /etc/sysctl.d/ Save.

In-game/server settings

• MaxPlayers Choose logically.
• If players' ping is high, balance the parameters related to the tickrate or server frame rate (if applicable).
• Storage: Using an NVMe SSD improves storage and loading speeds.

Security, mods and backups

Security

• Run the server with a non-root user.
• Restrict console/editor access to specific IPs (if supported).
• Use network-based Anti-DDoS for public servers.
• Use of fail2ban Recommended for SSH protection and log monitoring.

Mods and mod management

Satisfactory modes are usually associated with Satisfactory Mod Loader (SML) Managed. Key points:

• The mod version must be the same for both the server and clients.
• General process: Install SML on the server and clients, place mods in the server's Mods folder, reboot, and check the log.
• Before enabling mods on the main server, try them on a test or local server first.

Backing up and maintaining saves

Example of a daily backup script with rsync:

rsync -a --delete /opt/satisfactory/Saved/ /backups/satisfactory/$(date +%F)/

Recommendations:

• Retention for at least 7 days and migration to cloud storage or snapshot.
• Make a full backup before updating the game or mods.

Monitoring, logging and troubleshooting

Monitoring and log review tips:

• Logs in the folder Saved/Logs are located; use parameter -log Useful in startup scripts.
• Monitoring tools such as Prometheus + Grafana Or company monitoring services are suitable for capturing CPU/RAM/Network metrics.
• If the server is not visible in the player list, check the query ports and Steamworks status.

Comparing locations and choosing the best place for your Satisfactory server

Choose the location based on the geographical location of the players. Examples:

• Europe: Frankfurt or Amsterdam
• Middle East: Dubai or Türkiye
• America: East or West based on player location

Advantages and disadvantages: Close location = low ping; but if players are spread out, multiple regional servers are better. With a network of 85+ locations, you can choose the closest point to your players.

Practical tips and checklist before opening the server to the public

• Synchronizing game and mod versions between clients and the server.
• Multi-session testing with testers to identify performance issues.
• Enable automatic backups and take snapshots before each update.
• Set up monitoring and alerts for resources and ports.
• Creating a notification channel for players to announce maintenance and downtime times.

Conclusion and final recommendations

Setting up a Satisfactory server can be both simple and challenging. If you're looking for a quick and reliable solution, VPS or Windows Dedicated Server Recommended with appropriate resources.

If you want to reduce costs or have more automation, setting up on Linux with SteamCMD+Proton is suitable but requires more technical experience.

To maintain a player experience, it is critical to choose a nearby location, use NVMe and sufficient bandwidth, and enable Anti-DDoS.

Frequently Asked Questions