Factorio 2.0: Release Date, New Features, & More

Factorio 2.0, a highly anticipated expansion of the well-liked factory-construction game, will include fresh content, features, and quality-of-life improvements. This major update includes fresh planets to discover with distinct resources and challenges, advanced technologies for upgraded factories, and improved gameplay for easier access and fun for new players.

Factorio 2.0: Everything We Know So Far

Factorio 2.0 will be released late this year, and it comes with space platforms, new planets, overhauled systems, and more. So, dive deep into this upcoming expansion as you continue reading.

Factorio 2.0 Release Date

Factorio Friday Facts #418 mentioned the release date for Update 2.0 to be on October 21, 2024. According to that post, the developers decided on this date to give them enough time after summer vacations to polish and fix bugs for the expansion, particularly before Christmas.

New Content and Features

Many pieces of information have been released since the initial announcement of Factorio 2.0. Dubbed the Space Age Expansion, it offers a plethora of new content and features, ranging from new planets to overhauled systems. So, here’s a rundown of the new elements included in Version 2.0:

• Introduction of space platforms and interplanetary logistics
• Space platforms can be moved with thrusters
• Four additional planets, each with unique motifs, challenges, military targets, and obtainable resources
• Introduction of Vulcanus, one of the new planets that contains a unique volcanic terrain
• Introduction of Fulgora, one of the new planets that contains hazardous weather and unique Holmium mining nodes
• Introduction of Gleba, one of the new planets that contains unique florae and fauna
• Introduction of Lava as both a resource and an obstacle
• Some biomes have dynamic ecosystems with alien landscapes
• Additional space science generation mechanics
• Strategic choices for interplanetary exploration
• Rebalanced the in-game tech tree with new items
• Overhauled various game mechanics for space exploration
• Enhanced research productivity, allowing players to research permanent productivity bonuses
• Introduction of a recycling machine, allowing players to recover ingredients from lower-quality items
• Introduction of the Quality System, wherein items, entities, and equipment have five potential qualities that provide bonuses
• Introduction of elevated rail systems, which include ramps, supports, and additional rail pieces
• Ability to collect and process resources from asteroids
• Rocket item carry capacity depends on weight
• Centralized interplanetary logistics courtesy of single cargo landing pads for each planet
• Decider Combinator upgraded to 2.0, which includes multiple conditions and outputs
• Introduction of the Selector Combinator for signal indexing and processing
• Introduction of the Asteroid Collector to help players harvest resources from asteroids and space debris
• Introduction of a new Foundry building to let players process molten metal
• Introduction of a new large mining drill for harvesting tungsten ore
• Ability to schedule train interruptions based on specific conditions, such as reduced fuel levels
• Parametrized blueprints for configurable setups
• New faster belt that has an increased underground reach
• Ability to stack items on belts
• Introduction of the Factoriopedia, an in-game information resource for players to check for items, recipes, planets, and more
• Ability to recycle scrap for mixed product handling
• Unique weather and environmental effects, such as lightning storms
• Introduction of the new electromagnetic plant for advanced crafting
• New music and sound effects
• Beacon effects now have diminishing returns, encouraging players to create diverse layouts
• Enhanced beacon effects
• Introduction of the rocket turret, which includes multi-type rocket support
• Ability for turrets to filter and focus on specific targets
• Introduction of the agricultural tower for players to automate harvesting and re-planting (primarily used on Gleba)
• Introduction of the biochamber for players to process plants and fruits into industrial products
• New spoilage system for managing biological products
• Overhauled fluid system for enhanced performance and predictability
• Improved behavior for junctions and pipelines, promoting consistent fluid distribution
• New display panel to view notes, icons, and other details
• New fusion power source

Quality of Life Improvements

It’s important to mention that the quality of life changes mentioned below will affect every Factorio client. That means you don’t need to purchase the Space Age Expansion to enjoy these improvements and only need to update to Factorio 2.0.

• Improved blueprint building
• Improved robot behavior, including enhanced task assignment and multi-tasking
• Enhanced train system controls
• Toggle research queue for indefinite operations
• Enhanced early game progression with new trigger-based technologies
• Enhanced rail system, including new S-bend and half-diagonal rail pieces
• Electric pole range increased to 32 tiles
• Various improvements to the rail planner
• Remote entity opening for full configuration
• Instant entity remote rotation
• Opening and configuring ghosts before their construction
• Build ghost entities on ghost tiles
• Remote deconstruction
• Improved ghost shaders
• Rocket silo acts as a requester chest while connected to a logistic network
• Automated item requests from a local logistic network when constructing platforms
• Implementation of logistic groups to allow request synchronization across multiple entities
• Super forced building more for blueprints and manual construction
• Mining landfill with correct collision handling
• Reworked circuit GUIs with toggled states
• Added descriptions for all combinators in blueprints
• Re-enabled logistic requests when recovering corpse
• Smart number formatting when entering mathematical expressions in text fields
• Added maximum range indicator for underground belt placement
• Enhanced chart tags with copy and drag-and-drop features
• Adjustable lamp colors
• Color-coded display for robots on the map
• Improved train stop reservation
• Implementation of train groups with simultaneous management and updates
• Automated coloring of trains based on their destinations
• Optimized map generation performance
• Reworked the mod manager with enhanced dependency in handling and mod portal integration
• New “Explore” tab in the mod manager
• Inserters are now able to set filters
• Various enhancements to the assembler circuit control
• Improvements to blueprint flipping
• Disabling train stops won’t cause trains to skip stations
• Toggle automatic mode for train blueprints once fully constructed
• Introduction of a train stop priority system
• Map search function to find buildings and items
• Pin locations and items
• Improved alert system with a detailed overview and the ability to segregate per planet
• Cut tool now remembers outside circuit wire connections when moving entities
• Improved train stop GUI
• Hovering the mouse cursor over a train stop shows its name and incoming train path
• Ability to copy-paste train stops from the map
• Ability to rename all train stops
• Manual locomotive pushing
• Remote train driving
• Rail planner support introduced in map mode
• Included the Spidertron RTS tool for improved control and selection
• Pipette functionality extended to inventory slots, logistic slots, recipe slots, and placeable tiles
• Introduction of a whole belt reader mode
• Improved fluid management with pump filters and circuit network control
• Readable accumulator charge level statistics
• Science graph now includes the total "Science" produced
• Display production statistics per planet and platform
• Enhanced graphs for production dissection by item quality
• Configurable turrets that allow target priority settings and ammunition readings
• Introduction of a redo function for reversing undone actions
• Improvements to car driving latency in multiplayer
• Various fixes to Insert Pickup from belts

Additionally, the release of Factorio 2.0 shed light into more additions and improvements for the game, such as:

• Smarter worker robots
• New rails
• Remote view
• Combinator and circuit network improvements
• Train control improvements
• New fluid system
• Overhauled Nauvis terrain generation