Space Age launched on October 21, 2024, alongside a massive free engine update to Factorio 2.0. There's some nuance to how this works on a dedicated server, so let's clear it up.
2.0 vs Space Age – They're Different Things
This trips people up. Two things dropped at the same time:
- Factorio 2.0 – a free engine update for everyone who owns Factorio. New graphics, fluid system rework, elevated rails foundation, quality-of-life improvements across the board.
- Space Age DLC – paid expansion content. Four new planets (Vulcanus, Fulgora, Gleba, Aquilo), interplanetary logistics, and a pile of new science and production chains.
Your server will be running 2.0 regardless. The question is whether you enable the DLC content on top of it.
How DLC Works on the Server
Internally, Space Age is three mods:
space-age– the core expansion content and planetsquality– the quality system for items and buildingselevated-rails– elevated rail network support
These show up in mod-list.json in the mods/ directory, just like any community mod. You can toggle them individually.
The Ownership Requirement
If any of the three DLC mods are enabled on your server, every player who connects must own the Space Age DLC. No exceptions – the game checks ownership on join. One friend without the DLC means they're locked out.
Running 2.0 Without DLC
Want the 2.0 engine improvements but don't want to force everyone to buy the DLC? Easy. Open mod-list.json via File Manager in the LOW.MS Control Panel and set all three DLC mods to enabled: false:
{ "name": "space-age", "enabled": false },
{ "name": "quality", "enabled": false },
{ "name": "elevated-rails", "enabled": false }
Restart the server. Everyone gets the 2.0 engine – the better graphics, the UI improvements, the fluid changes – without needing to purchase anything extra.
Mod Compatibility
The 2.0 update changed a lot under the hood. Many popular mods from 1.1 needed updates to work with the new engine. Before adding mods to your Space Age server:
- Check mods.factorio.com for 2.0-compatible versions.
- Look for the version compatibility tag on each mod's page.
- Some mods were abandoned and have community forks – the mod portal usually surfaces these.
See the mod installation guide for the full process.
Existing Saves
If you've got a pre-2.0 save you want to upload to your server, it'll work fine. Factorio handles the migration automatically when loading an older save on 2.0. You won't get DLC content in an existing world unless you specifically enable the DLC mods and research the new technologies, but nothing breaks.
New worlds started with DLC enabled will generate the additional planets from the start. That's where the real Space Age experience begins – launching rockets to Vulcanus and building cross-planetary supply chains.