Satisfactory Upgrades to Unreal Engine 5 with Update 8

Satisfactory is a vast first-person factory builder set on an exotic alien planet by developers Coffee Stain. Playable for 1-4 players, Satisfactory focuses on space exploration and the freedom to build complex, unlimited structures. Satisfactory launched in Early Access on Steam and the Epic Games Store on March 19, 2019, and today is making the early access leap to utilise Unreal Engine 5 following months of development and feedback from players on the experimental branch. With performance improvements and feature tuning implemented, this update launches with a series of visual upgrades, new power buildings, Advanced Game Settings, quality of life changes, and more for players to build their perfect factory.

Satisfactory Update 8 kicks off with a huge upgrade to Unreal Engine 5, delivering reworks and system updates that will provide a more stable foundation for future features. Since Update 8’s release on the Experimental branch earlier this year, Coffee Stain Studios have been hard at work optimising to ensure stable gameplay. Players can jump in and enjoy vehicle and sound overhauls, additional granular keybind options, a new stunning lighting system with Global Illumination, and much more.

Introduced during Update 8’s Experimental release in June this year was the all-new Priority Power Switch. A configurable circuit breaker, this nifty switch shuts down grids when power consumption is higher than power production, preventing factory-wide stoppages. The priority of each grid can be manually configured by the player and be powered on or off at any one Priority Power Switch. The Power Tower, which also made its debut on the Experimental branch earlier this year, enables power lines to extend farther and players to zipline along their cables even faster. These mighty structures come in two versions, one with a ladder and platform, and another without, for those who prefer a cleaner look.

Blueprints have received further updates since their introduction, including quality of life improvements which significantly improve the ease of design. Players can look forward to directional indicators to holograms and the ability to dismantle entire blueprints by selecting a toggle when in Dismantle Mode. Additionally, the new Nudge Mode, which applies to all buildables, allows players to lock holograms in place and move around them freely to confirm their placement. These quality-of-life changes, along with many more, have received multiple tweaks following feedback from players on the Experimental branch, and should make factory-life a breeze.

For players wanting to experience all that Satisfactory has to offer without limitations, the recently added Advanced Game Settings offer the customisation needed to tailor the factory-building experience for all types of players. These new settings can drastically alter gameplay, allowing players to enable Flight Mode, No Build Cost, Set Starting Tier, No Stinger Mode, and a whole host of other options. Johnny and I have had our eyes on this game for quite some time, and the leap to Unreal Engine 5 is a great time for us to make the dive into this universe.

Satisfactory Update 8 in early access is available now on Steam and the Epic Games Store.

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