The original Space Engineers Plugin Loader is discontinued. For a dedicated server, install and configure the official dedicated-server package first, then use a server-capable loader such as Magnetar or a plugin mechanism explicitly supported by your server and plugin. Pulsar is the current open-source hard fork for client-side loading; installing it on a player’s PC does not activate server-side features for everyone.
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What the old Plugin Loader status means
The project formerly known as the Space Engineers Plugin Loader has been shut down and is no longer receiving updates. That matters because a guide written for its old files, folders or launch behavior can leave you with a loader that starts but cannot load current plugins.
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Pulsar is an open-source hard fork of that discontinued loader. Its documentation separates Space Engineers 1 support by runtime and also lists a Modern executable for Space Engineers 2:
| Executable or mode | Target | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Legacy | Space Engineers 1 on .NET Framework | The game build and plugin require the older .NET Framework runtime. |
| Interim | Space Engineers 1 on .NET 10 | The plugin has been updated for the newer Space Engineers 1 runtime. |
| Modern | Space Engineers 2 on .NET 10 | You are running Space Engineers 2 and the plugin explicitly supports that target. |
Do not select a Pulsar executable by name alone. Match the executable to the game version and to the runtime listed by the plugin maintainer. A client loader cannot substitute for a server loader: it injects or loads code into the game process on the computer where it runs.
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Decide whether the plugin belongs on the client, the server, or both
Read the plugin’s own description before copying any files. The installation target determines who must install it and which loader is appropriate.
| Plugin scope | Where it is installed | Who needs it | What it can do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Client-only | Each player’s Space Engineers installation, normally through Pulsar | Only players who want the feature | Changes that player’s interface, input, visuals or other local behavior. It does not add server authority. |
| Server-only | The dedicated-server installation, using Magnetar or another supported server mechanism | The server administrator | Runs with the server process and can provide server-side behavior to connected players. |
| Dual-target | The server and, if documented, each client | The administrator plus any players required by the plugin | Splits functionality between server code and client code. Follow the plugin’s two-part installation exactly. |
A client-only plugin may work for one person while that person joins a multiplayer server. That does not make it a server plugin, and other players will not receive server-side behavior merely because one player installed Pulsar.
Install and configure the dedicated server first
Plugin deployment should be the second phase. First create a working vanilla dedicated server so you know which executable, data directory and logs are active.
Install from Steam or SteamCMD
- Owners can install the dedicated server without creating an additional Steam account for the server.
- In the Steam desktop client, open the Library, enable the Tools view if necessary, and install the Space Engineers Dedicated Server tool.
- For a command-line installation, the community setup documentation identifies SteamCMD app ID
298740. Use the SteamCMD account and depot instructions appropriate for your installation.
Complete the first launch
- Run
SpaceEngineersDedicated.exefrom the installed dedicated-server files. - Create or select the server instance in the configuration interface.
- Set the world, network, administrator and save options, then start the server once without plugins.
- Connect with a client and confirm that the world loads, saves and shuts down cleanly.
- Record the actual installation and data directories shown by the server. Do not assume that the folder containing the launcher is the active configuration root.
Stop the server before adding a loader. Keep a copy of the world and server configuration outside the live directory so a failed plugin update can be rolled back.
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Choose a server-side loading method
Magnetar: a server-loader directory model
Magnetar is a server-capable option documented for deploying Space Engineers server plugins. Its model separates the loader’s installation tree from its active data root. A typical data root is named MagnetarData and contains three important areas:
Local— local server plugin builds that the loader can deploy or load.Sources— configured sources from which plugin packages or updates are obtained.Profiles— loader profiles and related configuration.
Install the server build of a plugin into the Local area only when that plugin’s documentation says it supports Magnetar. A client DLL, a build for a different runtime or a file intended for the old loader is not made server-compatible by changing its folder.
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A direct DLL launch option
Some dedicated-server and plugin combinations support a direct launch argument:
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-plugin <filepath>Replace <filepath> with the full path to the supported plugin DLL. This is not a universal Space Engineers rule. The server build, plugin and loader must all document compatibility with this mechanism. If the server ignores the argument or exits, remove it, inspect the logs, and use the loader specified by the plugin maintainer instead of guessing at a new DLL location.
Torch or another documented server mechanism
A plugin may target a supported Torch or dedicated-server plugin framework rather than Magnetar. Treat that as a separate platform: install the framework version requested by the plugin, use its own plugin directory and follow its update and log instructions. Do not mix binaries between frameworks unless the maintainer explicitly provides a build for both.
Understand the important folders before copying anything
Server-plugin templates commonly refer to these logical locations. Your absolute path will depend on the Steam library, operating system and custom configuration arguments.
| Folder name | What it contains | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
Bin64 |
The directory containing SpaceEngineers.exe |
This is the client game location, not the dedicated-server executable. |
Dedicated64 |
The directory containing SpaceEngineersDedicated.exe |
This is the server runtime location used by server loaders and launch scripts. |
Pulsar |
The client-loader directory | Use it for client plugins, not for server-only DLL deployment. |
Magnetar |
The server-loader installation tree | Contains the loader components associated with a Magnetar server setup. |
MagnetarData |
The active loader data root, including Local, Sources and Profiles |
This is where Magnetar finds local builds and stores its operational configuration. |
On Windows, Pulsar’s normal data path is %AppData%Pulsar. On Linux, it is $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/Pulsar, normally ~/.config/Pulsar. A custom config or home argument can change both the apparent location and the files that the loader actually reads.
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End-to-end setup for a server plugin
- Classify the plugin. Confirm that the release is marked server-side or dual-target, identify its supported Space Engineers version and runtime, and note the loader named by the maintainer.
- Back up the world. Stop the server and copy the complete save plus the server configuration. Keep the backup in a directory that the plugin cannot overwrite.
- Confirm the server executable. Locate
SpaceEngineersDedicated.exein the activeDedicated64tree and make sure your start script launches that instance, not a second Steam-library copy. - Install the required loader. For Magnetar, create or select its server data root and confirm that
MagnetarDataLocal,SourcesandProfilesare the directories being used. For a direct mechanism, verify that your server and plugin support-plugin <filepath>. - Deploy the server build. Place only the documented server package or DLL in the loader’s expected location. Do not rename assemblies, copy client files into the server folder or leave multiple versions in the same directory.
- Start with one plugin. Launch the server with no other new plugins enabled. Watch the console and log from the first line through world load so you can identify exactly when the plugin initializes or fails.
- Test a disposable or backed-up world. Exercise the plugin’s main command or feature, reconnect a client, save, restart and verify that the world remains usable.
- Add additional plugins one at a time. Record each version and deployment path. If a later plugin breaks startup, you can remove only the last change.
How to install Pulsar for client-side plugins
Pulsar is relevant when the feature belongs on the player’s game client, not when you are trying to add authority or shared state to a dedicated server.
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- Extract it into a dedicated folder that does not contain important personal files or unrelated game data. The loader can create or modify files in its working area.
- Run the matching Legacy, Interim or Modern executable. Choose Legacy for Space Engineers 1 on .NET Framework, Interim for Space Engineers 1 on .NET 10, and Modern for Space Engineers 2 on .NET 10, subject to the plugin’s own support statement.
- Install only plugins from a source you trust and that the loader or maintainer identifies as compatible.
- If desired, configure Steam launch options so Steam starts Pulsar rather than the ordinary game executable. Use the launch syntax supplied by the Pulsar documentation for your installed release; do not copy an option intended for a different executable.
- Start the game and check the loader output before joining the server. A client plugin that fails locally should be fixed locally and should not be used as evidence that the dedicated server is misconfigured.
Pulsar’s normal Windows data directory is %AppData%Pulsar. On Linux it is $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/Pulsar, normally ~/.config/Pulsar. If the launcher was started with a custom config or home argument, inspect that location instead.
Verify that the server actually loaded the plugin
A server starting successfully is not proof that a plugin loaded. Use several checks:
- Read the startup log. Look for the loader initialization line, the plugin name and version, dependency checks and any exception or skipped-load message.
- Check the active path. Confirm that the DLL or package is in the loader’s current
Localdirectory or in the exact path passed to-plugin. A copy in an unused Steam library will have no effect. - Check runtime compatibility. Compare the plugin’s target runtime with the server runtime. A client Legacy build is not interchangeable with a server build compiled for another runtime.
- Use the plugin’s observable feature. Test the command, permission, configuration change or server behavior documented by its maintainer. Do not rely only on a file timestamp.
- Restart once. Some configuration is read only during process startup. Stop the server cleanly, start it again and confirm that the same plugin appears in the new log.
Troubleshoot the common failure modes
The server starts, but no plugin appears
- Check whether you installed a client-only release. If so, move the investigation to Pulsar on the client; it cannot provide server functionality.
- Confirm that the start script launches the same
Dedicated64installation whose logs you are reading. - For Magnetar, verify the active
MagnetarDataroot and itsLocaldirectory. A custom config or home argument may point the loader elsewhere. - For a direct launch, check the full path after
-plugin, including spaces and the DLL extension, and confirm that this server build supports the option. - Remove duplicate or obsolete plugin versions. A loader may skip a conflicting assembly rather than replacing it.
The server crashes during startup
- Stop the server and restore the backup world if the crash occurred while saving or loading a production world.
- Remove the newly added plugin and start the vanilla server. If vanilla startup succeeds, the plugin, its dependency or its runtime is the likely cause.
- Install the runtime specified by the plugin documentation and use the matching server loader. Do not force a client Pulsar executable onto a dedicated-server process.
- Re-enable the plugin against a copy of the world and capture the first relevant exception from the log for the maintainer.
Only some players see the feature
Determine whether the plugin is client-only or dual-target. A client-only feature must be installed by each player who needs it. A dual-target plugin may require both the server component and a matching client component; installing only one side can produce missing interfaces or rejected connections.
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The loader reads the wrong configuration
Compare the path printed by the loader with the path you edited. Windows defaults are %AppData%Pulsar and the corresponding Magnetar location; Linux defaults are under $XDG_CONFIG_HOME, normally ~/.config. Custom config or home arguments override those defaults, so update the file in the active location or remove the override deliberately.
An update breaks a previously working setup
Keep the last known-good loader, plugin package and configuration backup. Read the new release’s runtime requirements before replacing files, update one component at a time and test on a copied world. If the plugin has no build for your server version, waiting for a compatible release is safer than bypassing its checks.
Security, trust and maintenance
A plugin is executable code with access to the machine and the server account. Keen Software House warns: “A plugin could potentially harm your system, damage, corrupt, or delete data outside the game or even install secondary software.” Treat a DLL or loader archive with the same care as any other software you run.
- Prefer source-available projects with an identifiable maintainer, a visible release history and documentation that states the supported game and runtime.
- Use the vetted PluginHub source endorsed in Pulsar’s README when it contains the plugin you need. Pulsar also warns users to understand the risks of additional sources.
- Do not download replacement DLLs from unsolicited chat messages or unexplained mirrors.
- Run the server under a restricted operating-system account where practical, keep operating-system and runtime updates current and limit write access to the world directory.
- Back up worlds before every plugin installation and update. Keep at least one backup offline or outside the server’s writable tree.
- Review logs after updates and remove abandoned plugins instead of leaving unused binaries loaded.
Keen also states that plugins are not permitted on the Steam Workshop or Mod.io and will be removed if posted. That policy is why a Workshop item is not a substitute for a documented plugin release and why you should verify the source before installing anything.
If a client installation fails during startup, the community plugin documentation recommends holding Escape while the game loads to temporarily disable plugins. Use that recovery path to reach the main menu, remove or update the failing client plugin and then contact its maintainer with the relevant log.
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When managed hosting is the better option
Self-hosting gives you control over the executable, loader, filesystem and update schedule, but it also makes you responsible for backups, permissions, compatibility testing and recovery. A managed Space Engineers server can be preferable when you do not want to maintain a Windows or Linux host. Before choosing one, verify that it permits the specific server loader and plugin, exposes the logs you need, supports world backups and lets you control the server start arguments. A host that offers only Workshop mods will not necessarily support executable plugins.
Quick Recap
Practical decision checklist
- Need a local interface or visual feature? Use Pulsar on each client that needs it, with the correct Legacy, Interim or Modern executable.
- Need shared rules, automation or authoritative behavior? Install the plugin on the dedicated server with Magnetar, a supported Torch path or the documented
-plugin <filepath>mechanism. - Unsure which build to use? Stop and check the plugin’s target game version, runtime and loader before copying files.
- Server starts without the feature? Check the active executable, loader data root, plugin scope, exact DLL path and startup log.
- Startup fails? Remove the last plugin, restore the backup if necessary, and retest with a vanilla server or a copied world.
- Concerned about trust? Use source-available releases, the vetted PluginHub source where applicable, restricted server permissions and independent backups.
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