To raise the player cap on a PC Satisfactory server, stop the server, open its FactoryGame/Saved/Config/Game.ini file, add [/Script/Engine.GameSession] followed by MaxPlayers=8 (or your chosen number), save, and restart. You can also apply the same value at launch with -ini:Game:[/Script/Engine.GameSession]:MaxPlayers=8. Four players remains the supported performance target, so increase the value gradually and watch for instability.
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What the MaxPlayers setting controls
MaxPlayers is the Unreal Engine game-session setting that determines how many simultaneous players a Satisfactory session will accept. The setting is not a subscription, a Server Manager switch, or a network-port setting. It is an entry in the game configuration loaded when the session starts.
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The exact configuration block is:
[/Script/Engine.GameSession]
MaxPlayers=8Replace 8 with the cap you want. The number is a maximum, not a requirement: a server set to 12 can still run with one, four, or any other number of connected players up to that limit.
Before you edit anything
- Confirm that you are changing the right type of session. A dedicated server has its own installation directory. A non-dedicated session uses the PC host’s local configuration.
- Stop the server or close the local session first. Editing while the process is running can be overwritten when the game shuts down.
- Make a backup of the existing file. Copy
Game.inito a safe location, or duplicate it as a dated backup before changing it. - Choose a conservative first increase. Four players is the supported and performance target. Moving directly to a very large value can increase CPU, memory, simulation, and networking pressure.
- Know who administers the server. The in-game Server Manager is used to add and claim a dedicated server, set its administrator password, and perform routine administration. The file edit itself is done in the server installation, not in the world map.
Change the cap on a PC dedicated server
1. Shut down the server cleanly
Stop the dedicated-server process or service and wait until it has finished saving. Do not edit a live file while the server is writing configuration or world data. If you use a service manager, stop the service there; if you launch the server from a terminal or script, close that process normally.
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2. Locate the server configuration directory
Open the installation directory for the dedicated server and navigate to:
FactoryGame/Saved/ConfigThe directory is relative to the server installation. It may be on a different drive or under a service account, depending on how you installed or hosted the server. If several Satisfactory installations exist, use the directory belonging to the server that your players actually join.
3. Open or create Game.ini
Look for Game.ini in that Config directory. Open it with a plain-text editor. If the file does not exist, create a new file named exactly Game.ini; ensure your editor has not added a hidden .txt extension.
4. Add the game-session block
Append the following lines:
[/Script/Engine.GameSession]
MaxPlayers=8If the file already contains a [/Script/Engine.GameSession] section, add or edit MaxPlayers inside that section instead of creating a second copy. Keep one active MaxPlayers entry so that you can tell which value is intended.
5. Save the file and restart
Save Game.ini, then start the dedicated server again. The setting is read during startup; restarting is required for the changed cap to take effect. A server that was never stopped may continue using its previous in-memory value.
6. Reconnect and verify
Use the Server Manager to connect to the server and administer it. Test with an additional account or invite the next player only after the server has completed startup. If the new player cannot join, continue with the troubleshooting section rather than repeatedly editing the file while the server is running.
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Use a startup override instead of editing Game.ini
A dedicated server can receive the same value on its launch command:
-ini:Game:[/Script/Engine.GameSession]:MaxPlayers=8Replace 8 with the desired limit. Add the argument to the command, script, shortcut, or service definition that starts the dedicated server, then restart the process.
When a launch argument is useful
- It lets you keep the chosen value beside the rest of your startup options.
- It is convenient for temporary tests because removing the argument restores the file’s normal value.
- It avoids changing a shared configuration file when a host runs more than one instance.
Keep one source of truth
Do not leave conflicting values in several launch scripts and configuration files without documenting which command is actually used. If the server starts from a service, edit the service’s real start command; changing a desktop shortcut will have no effect if the service never uses it. After changing the command, restart the service and verify the result with a test connection.
Change the cap for a non-dedicated PC session
For a session hosted directly by a Windows PC, edit the host’s local configuration rather than the dedicated-server installation. Close the game first, then open:
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute%LOCALAPPDATA%FactoryGameSavedConfigWindowsGame.iniAppend or update the same block:
[/Script/Engine.GameSession]
MaxPlayers=8Save the file and start the session again. This is a PC-only technique. Console crossplay sessions cannot exceed four simultaneous players, so changing a Windows file does not remove that console limit.
How the local-host approach behaves
The host’s game process is the server in this arrangement. When the host leaves, the session is no longer available in the way a continuously running dedicated server is. The host also carries the simulation and connection workload while playing, so adding players can affect both the host’s game experience and everyone else’s connection.
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Dedicated server or local host: which approach fits?
| Consideration | Dedicated server | Non-dedicated PC session |
|---|---|---|
| Configuration location | FactoryGame/Saved/Config/Game.ini in the server installation |
%LOCALAPPDATA%FactoryGameSavedConfigWindowsGame.ini on the Windows host |
| Availability | Can remain available when the player who administers it is not playing, provided the server process is running | Depends on the host running the game session |
| Administration | Server Manager for claiming, administrator password, and server administration; files or launch scripts for advanced settings | The host’s game session and local files |
| Platform scope for more than four players | PC dedicated-server configuration; console sessions remain limited to four | PC host only; console crossplay cannot exceed four simultaneous players |
| Operational burden | You maintain the process, updates, backups, and performance monitoring, or use a managed Satisfactory server host | Less separate infrastructure, but the host’s computer must run the session and absorb its workload |
Choose a dedicated server when the group needs an always-available world, independent administration, or a host who does not want to keep the game open. Choose a local session when the same PC owner normally plays and a separate server process is unnecessary.
How high can you set the cap?
Four players is the practical baseline
Four players is the documented support and performance target. The developer position, archived from a November 23, 2021 livestream, states: “we officially support four players … you can technically have more on dedicated servers.” That distinction matters: the configuration can accept a higher number, but a higher number is not a promise of equivalent stability or performance.
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Increasing the cap allows more connection attempts; it does not add processing capacity. More players can produce more character movement, building activity, item transfers, vehicles, and replicated world state. The actual outcome depends on the server machine, the world, what players are doing, network conditions, and the client computers. No single player count guarantees a particular tick rate, latency, or frame rate.
Theoretical maximum versus sensible target
Current configuration guidance describes up to 127 players as theoretically possible, but not practical. Treat 127 as a technical limit mentioned by the documentation, not as a recommended operating target or a tested capacity. A smaller cap that remains stable is more useful than a large cap that produces disconnects or a degraded simulation.
A safe way to increase the limit
- Record the baseline. Before changing anything, note how the server behaves with its current player count: CPU and memory use, tick-rate behavior if your monitoring exposes it, latency, and any disconnects.
- Raise the value in a small step. For example, move from four to a modestly higher cap rather than jumping immediately to a triple-digit value. The exact step is an operational choice because the documentation does not provide a universal performance formula.
- Test during a controlled session. Have the intended number of players join when an administrator is available. Avoid making the first high-player test during an important expedition or construction session.
- Watch the server while players perform normal work. Monitor CPU, memory, tick rate, connection latency, and disconnects. Also ask players whether actions are delayed or whether they are being dropped from the session.
- Hold or revert when stability worsens. If the server becomes unstable, reduce
MaxPlayersto the last value that behaved reliably, restart, and test again. - Document the working value. Record the cap, the date, the launch method, and any observed symptoms so another administrator does not unknowingly raise it again.
These monitoring and stepwise-increase practices are operational precautions, not published benchmark results. They are intended to keep an experimental setting from becoming an avoidable outage.
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Troubleshooting when the new cap does not work
The server still accepts only four players
- Confirm that the server was fully stopped and restarted after the edit.
- Check that you edited the dedicated server’s
FactoryGame/Saved/Config/Game.ini, not a client installation or an unrelated copy. - Verify the section header is exactly
[/Script/Engine.GameSession]and that the setting is spelledMaxPlayerswith no spaces in the key. - Check that the file is actually named
Game.ini, notGame.ini.txt. - If a launch argument is present, inspect the real service or script command. It may be overriding the file or starting a different installation.
- Make sure the players are joining the dedicated server rather than an old local session or a different server entry in Server Manager.
The server fails to start after the edit
Stop the process, restore the backup, and start with the last known-good configuration. Then recreate the change carefully with only the two required lines. Remove duplicate sections, accidental quotation marks, and any extra characters copied into the file. If the server starts after the rollback, the problem is in the edited configuration or launch command rather than the world save.
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The file keeps reverting
Ensure the server is stopped before editing and that the account running the server has permission to write the file. A managed service or startup script may also deploy a template at launch; in that case, change the template or the service’s launch argument rather than the generated copy.
Players can connect, but the session is unstable
Reduce the cap to the last stable value and restart. Compare CPU, memory, tick-rate behavior, and disconnects during a similarly busy session. If instability returns at the higher value, keep the lower cap; the ability to enter a number does not make that number suitable for your hardware or world.
A console player cannot join the larger group
The local-host configuration described here is PC-only, and console crossplay cannot exceed four simultaneous players. A Windows Game.ini edit cannot remove that platform limit.
Rolling back or changing the value later
To lower the cap, stop the server, change the number after MaxPlayers=, save, and restart. For example:
[/Script/Engine.GameSession]
MaxPlayers=4If you used a startup override, remove it or change its number in the command that actually launches the server. Keep a backup of the last stable configuration and note which method is authoritative. Lowering the cap does not delete players or world content; it only limits how many can be connected at once after the restart.
Administration practices for a shared server
Use Server Manager for ownership and access
Adding and claiming a dedicated server in Server Manager establishes administrative control and lets you set the administrator password. Complete that setup before handing the server address to a large group, and store the password securely rather than posting it in a public chat.
Separate configuration changes from world backups
Game.ini controls this session setting; it is not a substitute for backing up the world. Keep configuration backups and world-save backups separately so that a failed player-cap experiment can be reverted without risking progress.
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Schedule restarts deliberately
Because MaxPlayers is read at startup, every change requires a restart. Tell players when the server will be unavailable, allow the current session to save and close cleanly, and verify that the intended launch command is used when it comes back online.
Quick Recap
Key takeaways
- The required setting is
[/Script/Engine.GameSession]withMaxPlayers=X. - Dedicated servers use
FactoryGame/Saved/Config/Game.ini; PC local sessions use%LOCALAPPDATA%FactoryGameSavedConfigWindowsGame.ini. - The startup equivalent is
-ini:Game:[/Script/Engine.GameSession]:MaxPlayers=X. - Stop and restart after every change.
- Four players is the supported and performance target; higher values are technically possible but carry stability and resource risks.
- Console crossplay cannot exceed four simultaneous players.
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