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Oct 27 · 42.22 pre-release: ladders and crowbar break-insOct 21 · The Indie Stone on Java mods: download responsiblySep 28 · Build 42.21 Stable: zombie duplication fixesAug 26 · Security fixes on every branchAug 17 · Servers now handle up to 254 playersJul 29 · Build 42 goes Stable

Factorio on Linux

The factory-building game that does Linux better than almost anyone: native on x86-64 and ARM64, Steam Deck Verified, and a headless server built for Linux. Here is how it scores, how to install and host it, what 2.1 changed, and what developers can learn from Wube. Updated November 2026. Part of our Linux games list.

A large factory at night
Factorio, running natively on Linux · Official screenshot, Wube Software
01Scorecard

Factorio on Linux: the scorecard

Native Linux build

Yes, on Steam and as a standalone tarball from Wube.

ARM64 Linux

Yes, native since 2.1 (October 2026).

Steam Deck

Verified.

Dedicated server

A headless Linux server with no graphics or sound libraries needed.

Engine

Wube's own engine, built for huge factories and deterministic multiplayer.

Current version

2.1 Stable (October 23, 2026). The last 2.0 stable was 2.0.77 (June 23, 2026).

Expansion

Space Age, released October 21, 2024 alongside the free 2.0 update.

Released

1.0 on August 14, 2020.

Reviews

Metacritic 90.

Verdict

Flawless. The gold standard for Linux support.

02Tests

How it does on our four tests

Runs natively or flawlessly

Pass. Native on x86-64 and, since 2.1, ARM64.

Steam Deck Verified

Pass.

Hosts on Linux

Pass. The headless server is made for Linux boxes, even a Raspberry Pi.

Survives updates

Pass. Every release ships on Linux the same day, and the move from 2.0 to 2.1 kept saves loading.

Four out of four. Factorio is the game the others are measured against.

03Setup

Installing and requirements

  1. Buy on Steam and install. The native Linux build is used automatically.
  2. Or download the Linux tarball from factorio.com, extract it anywhere and run bin/x64/factorio.
  3. Back up your saves before moving from 2.0 to 2.1: 2.0 saves load in 2.1, but you cannot go back.
Minimum

Dual core 3 GHz, 8 GB RAM, 1 GB VRAM (GTX 750 Ti, RX 360 or Intel UHD 730), 5 GB disk, PulseAudio.

Recommended

Quad core 3 GHz, 16 GB RAM, 4 GB VRAM (GTX 1050 Ti, RX 570 or Intel Arc), 10 GB disk.

Minimum settings

Normal sprite resolution, low quality compression, 1080p.

Recommended settings

High sprite resolution, high quality compression.

The crashed ship at the start of a game
Where every factory begins: the crash site · Official screenshot, Wube Software
04ARM

Native ARM64 Linux

Since 2.1, Factorio runs natively on ARM64 Linux. Wube lists:

  • Valve's Steam Frame.
  • Raspberry Pi, as a headless server.
  • Asahi Linux on Apple Silicon MacBooks.
  • Cheap ARM cloud servers, such as Oracle's free tier.

Few big games ship native ARM Linux builds. Factorio is one of the first.

05Hosting

Headless server on Linux

Download the headless package from factorio.com. It has no graphics or sound and needs no X, OpenGL or ALSA libraries.

  1. Extract it to /opt/factorio and create a factorio user to run it. Never run it as root.
  2. Create a map: ./bin/x64/factorio --create ./saves/my-save.zip.
  3. Copy data/server-settings.example.json to server-settings.json and edit name, description, max_players, visibility, password and whether to verify players.
  4. Start: ./bin/x64/factorio --start-server-load-latest --server-settings ./data/server-settings.json.
  5. Open UDP 34197 on your firewall and router. Factorio uses UDP only.
--port

Use a different port.

--no-auto-pause

Keep the game running when nobody is online.

--map-gen-settings, --map-settings

Customise a new map with --create.

server-adminlist.json

A JSON list of admin usernames, next to factorio-current.log.

Public listing

Needs a factorio.com account; use an auth token instead of a password in the file.

DNS SRV

A _factorio._udp record lets players join by name with no port.

Every player and the server must run exactly the same version and mods. Factorio needs glibc 2.31 or newer.

A rail network at night
Big multiplayer bases run on trains · Official screenshot, Wube Software
062.1

What is new in 2.1

Space logistics

Mixed rockets, import from any planet, platform-to-platform transfers, circuit-controlled hub requests, and a radar Universe mode.

Platform balance

Asteroid damage depends on asteroid health, a tougher hub, and drag based on mass, not width.

Landing pad unloading bay

Inserters can unload the landing pad straight into trains, chests or belts.

Circuit network

Separate input and output wires, labs that pick research, boilers on the network, land mines as tripwires, and pipes with their own GUI.

Quality

Space Age can be played without Quality. Quality trains and wagons. Quality modules no longer work in asteroid reprocessing.

Fluids and flipping

Fluid mixing prevention is back, flow scales properly, and pumpjacks and burner miners can be flipped.

Enemy expansion

Expansion groups grow with evolution, and early exploring no longer reduces expansions near your base.

Graphics

New assemblers, oil refinery, rocket silo and heat exchanger, a new pump system, diagonal flamethrowers and planets behind platforms.

ARM64 Linux

Native on ARM64.

Turrets defending against biters
Biter expansions were reworked in 2.1 · Official screenshot, Wube Software
072.0

2.0 and Space Age

  • Space Age added space platforms and new planets to travel between.
  • 2.0 (free) brought elevated rails, smarter robots, remote view, better train scheduling, a reworked fluid system, combinator upgrades and new terrain generation.
  • Both arrived on October 21, 2024, on Linux the same day.
  • Wube says 2.1 may be the last big content patch, with work moving to bug fixes, platform support and modding.
Oil refineries and chemical plants
Oil processing, reworked with the 2.0 fluid system · Official screenshot, Wube Software
08Files

Files and folders

WhatSteam version
Saves~/.factorio/saves/
Mods~/.factorio/mods/, with mod-list.json saying which are on
Settings~/.factorio/config/config.ini
Logs~/.factorio/factorio-current.log and factorio-previous.log from the run before

The standalone tarball from factorio.com keeps its data inside its own folder instead, so you can keep several versions side by side.

09Mods

Mods on Linux

Factorio mods are written in Lua and run the same on every platform. Nothing special is needed on Linux.

  1. Open Mods on the main menu and browse the official mod portal from inside the game. You need your factorio.com login to download.
  2. Joining a modded server? Factorio offers to download the exact mods and versions the server uses.
  3. Loading a friend’s save? Use Sync mods with save to match the mod list it was made with.
  4. On a headless server, put the mod zip files in the server’s mods/ folder and list them in mod-list.json.

After a big update such as 2.0 to 2.1, some mods need an update. Keep a backup of ~/.factorio before you switch.

10Devs

For developers: why Factorio is the gold standard

  • Ship a tarball. The Linux requirements literally say "tarball installation": extract and run, no installer, no store needed.
  • Ship a real headless build. A separate server package with no graphics, sound or X dependencies runs on any Linux box.
  • Port to ARM. Native ARM64 opens the Steam Frame, Raspberry Pi and Apple Silicon Linux.
  • State your baseline. Wube documents its glibc 2.31 requirement so admins know what will run.
  • Be honest about sound. The requirements name PulseAudio.
  • Deterministic multiplayer means every client runs the same simulation, so identical versions and mods are enforced.
  • Talk to players. Weekly Friday Facts posts explain every change, including the Linux and ARM work.
11Gallery

Factorio screenshots

A factory around a rocket launch
A rocket launch, the goal of the base game · Official screenshot, Wube Software
A huge factory with storage tanks
A megabase with oil storage · Official screenshot, Wube Software
Rows of assembling machines
Assembly lines · Official screenshot, Wube Software
Long rows of furnaces
Smelting columns · Official screenshot, Wube Software
Steam engines and boilers
Steam power · Official screenshot, Wube Software
Trains at a fluid station
Fluid wagons at a station · Official screenshot, Wube Software
The map view with enemy bases
The map: your base and enemy nests · Official screenshot, Wube Software
A mining outpost at night
A mining outpost at night · Official screenshot, Wube Software
?Q&A

Quick answers

Does Factorio run on Linux?

Yes. Factorio has a native Linux build on Steam and as a tarball from factorio.com, and since 2.1 it also runs natively on ARM64 Linux.

Is Factorio Steam Deck Verified?

Yes.

How do I host a Factorio server on Linux?

Download the headless package, create a save with --create, then run --start-server-load-latest with a server-settings.json file and open UDP port 34197.

Does Factorio run on a Raspberry Pi?

Since 2.1, yes, as a headless server on ARM64 Linux.

Where are Factorio saves on Linux?

For the Steam version, in ~/.factorio/saves/. The standalone version keeps them inside its own folder.

Do Factorio mods work on Linux?

Yes. Mods are Lua and run the same on every platform, from the in-game mod portal.

Added November 2026: Factorio user data layout for the Steam build; mod portal and save sync behaviour from the game.