Factorio Reaches New Heights With Space Age DLC: Record-Breaking Player Count, Rave Reviews

Following the launch of Factorio’s sequel-sized Space Age expansion, the game has managed to break its own player count record.

It currently boasts a live player count of above 50,000 thanks to a quickfire sale of 400,000 copies of the DLC.

It’s not just the players showing love for the DLC though. I’ve yet to try it out myself; but it’s raking in rave reviews from critics worldwide. The Space Age DLC for Factorio was first announced in 2021.

It massively expands the gameplay of Factorio to include interplanetary travel and four new planets. Each of these new worlds has its own method of acquiring resources and ushers its own unique challenges.

While Vulcanus is a volcano-themed planet littered with lava pits, Fulgora is home to the ruins of an alien civilization. And then there’s Gleba, filled with forests and diverse lifeforms, and Aquilo, a frozen planet covered in a liquid ammonia ocean.

Interplanetary logistics play a big role in the Space Age expansion of Factorio, encouraging players to greatly scale up their factory’s production with the help of cutting-edge machines and equipment.

Factorio was released in 2020 for Linux, Windows and Mac after a highly successful Indiegogo campaign. The construction and management sim is focused mainly on resource-gathering but features heavy influences from real-time strategy and survival games.

Factorio has also influenced a wave of similar automation titles, cementing its place as a benchmark in the genre. Its community-driven mods and dedicated fanbase continue to keep the game alive, contributing to its lasting influence and appeal in gaming culture.

The Space Age DLC for Factorio is now available via Steam. However, there’s still no word on whether or not it will be released for the Nintendo Switch version of the game.