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To play Satisfactory with friends, sign in to Epic Online Services, have one player create or load an online session, and let everyone else join from Join Game. Steam and Epic PC players can play together after linking Epic accounts and adding one another as Epic friends. PlayStation and Xbox cross-play is supported, but PC and console ecosystems remain separate.

What you need before starting

Satisfactory uses Epic Online Services (EOS) for multiplayer and cross-play, regardless of whether you bought the PC game through Steam or the Epic Games Store. Coffee Stain Studios states: “However, an Epic Games account is needed to host or join Multiplayer sessions, as we use EOS backend for multiplayer and cross-play.” If you do not have an Epic account, create or link one from the game’s Online Settings menu.

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  • Every player must be running the same current game branch and a compatible game version.
  • Every player must be signed in to the required Epic Online Services account.
  • Steam and Epic PC players must link their Epic accounts and become Epic friends before trying cross-play.
  • The host needs access to the save that the group intends to use as its shared campaign.

You do not need a dedicated server for a normal friends-only session. A regular session is usually the quickest option when the group generally plays at the same time.

How to host a normal multiplayer session

1. Sign in and check Online Settings

Launch the game and open Online Settings. Confirm that your Epic account is linked and that the account is signed in. Each friend should do the same before anyone tries to join. If an account is missing, the game provides an account-creation or linking flow from this menu.

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2. Create or load the shared save

The host creates a new world or loads the existing save that the group has agreed to use. Starting from the wrong save is easy to do when several worlds have similar names, so identify the shared campaign before inviting people.

3. Start an online multiplayer session

Use the save’s multiplayer option to start an online session. Review the session’s privacy setting before inviting anyone. Privacy determines who can access the world and also affects how the Session ID can be used.

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4. Invite friends or tell them to use Join Game

The host can invite friends through the game’s available multiplayer controls, or simply tell them the world is ready. Friends should open Join Game, find the host’s session, and select it.

5. Confirm that everyone loaded into the same world

Once connected, verify that everyone is in the intended save and can see the shared factory. If a friend cannot find the session, follow the discovery checks below rather than creating duplicate worlds.

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How friends join your Satisfactory world

  1. Launch Satisfactory and sign in to Epic Online Services through Online Settings.
  2. Open Join Game.
  3. Find the host’s online session in the list.
  4. Select the session and wait for the save to load.
  5. If the session is missing, confirm the Epic friendship, account linking, privacy visibility, and game version. Ask the host for the Session ID if list discovery still fails.

A normal hosted world is available only while its host is online and running the session. If the host quits, friends cannot continue using that world until the host starts it again.

How Steam and Epic players cross-play

Steam-to-Epic PC cross-play is supported through Epic Online Services. Coffee Stain’s instructions require account linking and Epic friendship setup; simply owning the game on different storefronts is not enough.

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Set up cross-play

  1. Each player opens Online Settings and links the game to an Epic account.
  2. Add the other players as friends through Epic’s friend system.
  3. Have the host create or load an online session.
  4. Open Join Game on the other PC and look for the host’s cross-play session.

Coffee Stain’s Steam announcement describes an Epic Online Services update that enabled Steam/Epic cross-play and improved friend-list visibility. If a friend is not visible, recheck the Epic account that is actually linked in the game; a different browser or launcher account will not help if the in-game account is another one.

Use a Session ID when Join Game cannot find the world

Friend-list discovery is convenient but not the only way to connect. The host can open Manage Session > Session Settings, copy the world’s Session ID, and share it with the intended players. A friend can use that ID through the game’s session-joining flow.

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The official wiki notes that access to a Session ID is governed by the session’s privacy setting. Therefore, sharing an ID does not override a privacy configuration that blocks the person trying to connect. Set the session to the appropriate privacy level first, then send the current ID rather than an old one from a previous run.

What multiplayer progression is shared?

According to the official wiki, multiplayer progression for the HUB, MAM, Space Elevator, and AWESOME Shop is shared among players. These are world-level systems, so research, unlocks, and milestones made in the shared save affect the group’s campaign rather than creating a separate progression track for each visitor.

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Agree on one campaign save

Because those systems are shared, decide which save is the group’s canonical world before building together. If different friends host different copies, their HUB, MAM, Space Elevator, and AWESOME Shop progress will not automatically merge. Keep the host’s save backed up and make clear who is responsible for starting it.

Coordinate major unlocks

Discuss large research or milestone decisions before spending shared resources. A player who joins temporarily is entering the host’s campaign, not bringing an independent progression state into it.

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Platform compatibility

Players Supported? What is required
Steam PC + Epic Games Store PC Yes Epic account linking, Epic friendship setup, and a visible online session through Epic Online Services.
PlayStation + Xbox Yes, according to Coffee Stain’s support information Epic accounts are required for console multiplayer.
PC + console No, based on the cited Coffee Stain support answer Do not assume a PC player can join a PlayStation or Xbox session.

These platform statements describe the cited support information. Check the game’s current platform-specific notices after major updates, because online compatibility can change with a new release or branch.

Normal hosted session or dedicated server?

Choose a normal hosted session when the same person can usually be online with the group. Choose a dedicated server when friends play at different times and need a persistent world that remains available without the original host.

Consideration Normal hosted session Dedicated server
Must the host be online? Yes. The host starts the save and must remain available for others to use it. No individual player needs to host each play session; the server must be running.
Setup complexity Low. Create or load a save, start multiplayer, and use Join Game. Higher. Install, configure, run, and maintain the dedicated-server tool.
Persistence Available only when the host is playing. Persistent while the server is running, allowing players to build while friends are offline.
Hardware responsibility The host’s PC runs the game and session. The group must operate suitable server hardware or arrange Satisfactory dedicated-server hosting.
Platform scope Works within the supported platform combinations. The official wiki describes dedicated servers as PC-only.

When a dedicated server is worth it

  • Friends have different schedules and want to enter the world without waiting for one host.
  • The group wants a continuously available factory for long-term construction.
  • One person or a service can take responsibility for server updates, backups, access, and uptime.

When it is unnecessary

  • The group normally plays together in the same time window.
  • No one wants to maintain a separate PC or server process.
  • The only problem is occasional friend-list discovery; a Session ID usually addresses that without adding server infrastructure.
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Dedicated-server requirements published for Windows

The Epic Games Store listing for the Satisfactory Dedicated Server gives the following Windows requirements. They are the store’s stated specifications, not a guarantee for every workload, player count, mod setup, or future game update. Recheck the listing after major updates.

Component Minimum listed requirement Recommended listed requirement
Operating system Windows 10 or later, 64-bit Windows 11 or later, 64-bit
Processor i5-3570, 3.4 GHz, four-core class Ryzen 5 5600X or i5-12400 class, six-core class
Memory 8 GB RAM 16 GB RAM
Storage 20 GB 20 GB SSD
Graphics Listed GTX 1650/1050 Ti or RX 470/570 class GPU RTX 2070 or RX 5700 class GPU

The dedicated server is a PC option. Console players cannot use the PC-only dedicated-server arrangement as a replacement for the separate console ecosystem.

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Troubleshooting: why you cannot see a friend’s session

Check Epic Online Services first

Have every player open Online Settings and confirm an active Epic account. Multiplayer requires that account even when both people bought the game on Steam.

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Repair Steam/Epic friendship setup

For cross-play, confirm that both Epic accounts are linked in-game and that the players have added each other as Epic friends. If the wrong Epic account is linked, sign out or use the account-management option exposed in Online Settings, then repeat the friendship step.

Check session privacy

The host should open Manage Session > Session Settings and verify that the privacy setting allows the intended players. A private or restricted session may not appear to people who are otherwise correctly linked.

Verify versions and branches

Everyone should launch the same current game branch. A mismatch between branches or versions can prevent a session from appearing or joining successfully even when account settings are correct.

Use the Session ID

If the friend list remains incomplete, copy the Session ID from Manage Session > Session Settings and send it directly to the other players. Ensure the privacy setting permits them to use it.

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Escalate to a persistent server only for an availability problem

If the real issue is that the host is rarely online, a dedicated server addresses availability. It will not fix an unlinked Epic account, an incompatible branch, or a privacy setting that blocks access.

A practical first-session checklist

  • Choose the one save that will serve as the group’s shared campaign.
  • Have every player link and sign in to an Epic Online Services account.
  • Add Steam/Epic cross-play partners as Epic friends.
  • Start the save as an online multiplayer session.
  • Set privacy for the intended group.
  • Join through Join Game.
  • Share the Session ID if discovery fails.
  • Back up the host save and record who normally starts the world.

Bottom line for choosing your setup

For most small groups, start with a regular hosted session: it requires the least setup and works directly through Join Game. Make Epic account linking and friendship setup the first troubleshooting checks, not an optional extra. Move to a PC dedicated server only when persistent access is more important than the simplicity of having one friend host.

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