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Playing with friends? Godlike.Host runs hosted Satisfactory servers from 10 data-center locations, with free DDoS protection.
Yes—you can play Satisfactory with friends without renting or installing a dedicated server. One player loads a normal save as an online session, chooses who can join, and then invites friends or shares the session ID. The trade-off is that the host’s game must remain running: when the host leaves, the player-hosted world is no longer available. A dedicated server is only necessary when your group needs the factory to stay online while that host is away.
What “without a dedicated server” means in Satisfactory
Satisfactory has two different multiplayer models. In ordinary co-op, one player’s game acts as the host. That player loads the save, the game creates an online session, and the other players connect to it. You do not install separate server software, configure a permanent machine, or buy a hosting plan for this arrangement.
A dedicated server is a separate, persistent process. It can keep a world available when the usual host is offline, but it brings additional setup such as server installation, firewall rules and port configuration. For a group that plays together at the same time, player-hosted co-op is usually the simpler choice.
The important limitation
The host is part of the session. Friends can play only while the host has the save loaded and the online session running. If the host quits, disconnects or shuts down the computer, the others cannot continue in that world until the host starts it again. Progress is stored in the save, so the group can resume later when the host returns.
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What you need before starting
- A copy of Satisfactory with a save that the host can load. The game reached full 1.0 release on September 10, 2024.
- An internet connection for every participant.
- For console multiplayer, an Epic Games account for both hosting and joining. The console version uses Epic Online Services for multiplayer and cross-play.
- For PC cross-store play, either a session ID or linked Epic accounts. Steam and Epic players can join the same PC session.
- Permission for the game to communicate through the host’s operating-system firewall and security software.
You do not need a particular router, a separate computer or a published player-count limit for this workflow. The documented process is based on the game session, account links and network access.
How to host a Satisfactory world for friends
1. Start or load the world as an online session
- Launch Satisfactory and select a normal save, or begin a new world.
- Choose the option to start or load it as an online multiplayer session rather than keeping it local-only.
- Wait until the world has loaded. The host’s running game is now the active session to which others will connect.
If a save was created for single-player, you can still load it and run it as the online session. Make sure you have selected the intended save before inviting anyone; the session exposes the world that is currently loaded.
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Satisfactory provides two relevant privacy choices. Pick the one that matches how tightly you want to control access.
| Privacy mode | Who can join | Session ID behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Friends Only | People on the host’s friend list can find the session from the Join Game menu; the host can also invite players. | A shared session ID can be used to join. |
| Private | Only players who receive an in-game invitation can join. | A session ID will not find a Private session. |
Use Friends Only when several people need to join without waiting for individual invitations or when you want to share an ID. Use Private when invitations should be the only entry method. Changing the privacy choice is useful when a friend can see the session but cannot enter it.
3. Find and share the session ID
- While you are inside the world, press Esc.
- Open Manage Session.
- Select Session Settings.
- Copy the displayed Session ID.
- Send that ID only to the people who should join.
A session ID identifies the currently running player-hosted session. It is not a permanent server address: if the host closes the session and starts it again later, friends may need the new ID shown by that session.
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4. Invite friends when an ID is not convenient
Instead of sharing an ID, the host can use the game’s invitation controls. Friends who are eligible under the selected privacy mode can then accept the invitation and connect. On PC, linking an Epic account and adding one another as Epic friends also lets Steam and Epic players find each other through the game’s Join Game flow.
How friends join the host
Joining with a session ID
- Start Satisfactory on the joining player’s PC.
- Open the multiplayer or Join Game screen.
- Choose the option to join by session ID.
- Enter the ID exactly as the host sent it, without adding spaces or other characters.
- Confirm the connection and wait for the host’s world to load.
The host must still be in the online session when the joining player tries to connect. A correct ID cannot open a world that the host has already closed, and it will not locate a session configured as Private.
Joining through the friends list
For a Friends Only session, a player on the host’s friend list can look for the host from Join Game. On PC, players using Steam and Epic can link Epic accounts and add each other as Epic friends, then use that list to locate the session. An invitation from the host is another route when the host wants to approve each player directly.
Steam, Epic and console compatibility
The storefront and platform combination matters. The following boundaries are documented for Satisfactory multiplayer.
| Players or session | Supported connection method | Restriction |
|---|---|---|
| Steam PC ↔ Epic PC | Session ID, or linked Epic accounts with Epic friends | Both players are on PC. |
| Console host or guest | Epic Games account plus the console’s multiplayer connection | An Epic account is required because console multiplayer uses Epic Online Services. |
| Console ↔ PC | Not available | The official FAQ keeps the console and PC ecosystems separate. |
| Console ↔ dedicated server | Not available | Consoles cannot join dedicated servers. |
In practical terms, a Steam player and an Epic PC player can share a player-hosted factory, but a console player cannot join that PC session. If your group includes consoles, verify the platform mix before spending time on firewall or ID troubleshooting; a platform boundary cannot be fixed by changing network settings.
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Does the host have to stay online?
Yes. In player-hosted co-op, the host’s running game supplies the session. Other players can enter and work in the factory while that game is active, but the world is unavailable when the host is offline. The save remains on the host’s system and can be loaded again for the next play session.
This model works well when the group normally plays at the same time. It becomes inconvenient when people have different schedules, because nobody can enter the shared world independently. A dedicated server is justified when persistent availability is more important than the simpler setup of ordinary co-op.
Player-hosted co-op versus a dedicated server
Use the differences below to choose the hosting model before you build a large shared factory.
| Decision point | Player-hosted online session | Dedicated server |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | The host must be running the game and the online session. | The world can remain available while individual players, including the usual host, are offline. |
| Setup effort | Load a save, choose privacy and invite players or share the session ID. | Install and run a separate server, then handle firewall and port configuration. |
| Cost | Uses the existing game; no separate server charge is required for the co-op session. | A hosting service may add a recurring cost; no universal provider price applies. |
| Access control | Friends Only, Private, invitations and session IDs control entry. | Access depends on the server’s configuration and network exposure. |
| Network work | Most players need only allow the game through the firewall. NAT problems can still interfere. | Explicit server ports and consistent NAT or firewall port remapping may be required. |
| Platform scope | Steam and Epic PC players can cross-play; console and PC ecosystems remain separate. | Consoles cannot join dedicated servers. |
For a weekend co-op group, start with player hosting. Move to a dedicated server only when the host-availability limitation is causing missed play time or when the group specifically needs an always-on world.
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Why a friend cannot join
Connection failures usually come from the session state, privacy setting, platform account, local firewall or NAT path. Work through the checks in this order so you do not change network settings unnecessarily.
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Check the session and privacy mode
- Confirm that the host is inside the intended save and that it was started as an online session.
- Recheck Manage Session → Session Settings and verify the selected privacy mode.
- If the session is Private, send an in-game invitation; a session ID will not locate it.
- If the ID was copied earlier, obtain the current ID again from the active session and resend it.
Try another host
Have a different player load the save or a test world and host it. If the same friend can join the second host, the original host’s network, firewall or save is the likely source. Changing hosts is a fast way to distinguish a local connection problem from a broader platform or account issue.
Set Network Quality to Ultra
- On every participating computer, open Satisfactory’s network settings.
- Set Network Quality to Ultra.
- Restart the game on all affected systems.
- Start the session again and retry the Join Game or session-ID connection.
This is an official troubleshooting step, not a guarantee that every connection will improve. Apply it consistently to all players before testing again.
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Create or load a new test world and invite the same player. If the fresh save works but the original world does not, the problem may be associated with that particular save or its state. If neither save works, continue with account and network checks.
Allow the game through security software
Operating-system firewalls and third-party security software can block the host or joining client. Add Satisfactory to the firewall’s allowed-app list, then restart the game and test again. Avoid disabling security software permanently; create a specific allow rule and restore normal protection after testing if you made a temporary change.
Review the documented ports
Most players should not need manual port forwarding. If NAT behavior or a firewall is blocking the session, the official FAQ lists these ports for Satisfactory multiplayer:
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- TCP: 5222 and 6666
- UDP: 5222, 6666 and 7777–7827
Apply any router or firewall rule consistently with the protocol shown. Port forwarding is not a substitute for choosing the correct privacy mode, and opening additional ports will not solve a console-to-PC incompatibility.
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Dedicated-server networking when you outgrow co-op
A dedicated server has a different network profile from an ordinary player-hosted session. Coffee Stain’s March 11, 2025 developer update describes a revised reliable-messaging system with a default starting port of 8888 TCP for a single server and support for up to 512 ports. The update also warns that NAT or firewall port remapping must be configured consistently.
That information applies to dedicated-server operation, not to the basic session-ID workflow above. If you move to a dedicated server, follow the server software’s current documentation and make sure the externally reachable port, internal port and any firewall rule agree. A server that is running but mapped to the wrong port can appear offline to every player.
Protecting the shared save
The host owns the practical copy of a player-hosted world, so backups are important before branch changes, transfers or troubleshooting.
Where Satisfactory stores saves on Windows
The official support page identifies this folder:
%LOCALAPPDATA%FactoryGameSavedSaveGames- Close Satisfactory before copying files.
- Open the path above in File Explorer.
- Copy the save folder or the relevant save files to another drive or a clearly named backup folder.
- Keep more than one dated backup if the factory is important.
Coffee Stain specifically recommends copying saves somewhere else, especially when cloud saves are enabled. Cloud synchronization is useful for recovery, but it should not be your only backup: a bad or unwanted state can synchronize just as readily as a good one.
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Developer updates also advise backing up saves before trying Experimental branches. Keep the backup separate from the live save directory so an update, rollback or synchronization conflict cannot overwrite the copy you intend to preserve. Restore a backup only after closing the game and confirming which branch and save location you are using.
A reliable first-session checklist
- Confirm every player’s platform and account: Steam/Epic PC cross-play is supported, while console and PC remain separate.
- Back up the host’s save before the first shared session.
- Load the intended world as an online session.
- Choose Friends Only for friend-list or session-ID joining, or Private for invitation-only access.
- Copy the current ID from Esc → Manage Session → Session Settings if you are using IDs.
- Have each player join from Join Game while the host remains in the world.
- If a connection fails, test another host, set Network Quality to Ultra for everyone, restart, and try a fresh save.
- Check firewall permissions and the documented TCP/UDP ports only after the session and platform checks pass.
When this setup is the right choice
Player-hosted multiplayer is the right fit when one person can reliably start the world, the group generally plays together, and you want the least technical setup. It gives you privacy controls, invitation-based access and session-ID joining without a separate server bill or server administration.
Choose a dedicated server when players need to work in the same factory at different times, when the host’s schedule is the main bottleneck, or when you are prepared to maintain server networking. Remember the platform boundary: the official FAQ says consoles cannot join dedicated servers, so a dedicated setup does not solve console-to-PC play.
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