How to Update a Factorio Server and Its Mods (2.0 and 2.1)

To update a Factorio server, stop it, copy the save .zip from saves/ and the mods/ folder somewhere safe, extract the new headless release over the install (your saves, mods and data/server-settings.json stay), then replace each mod .zip in mods/ with the version made for that Factorio release. The server and every player must run exactly the same version, for example 2.0.77. A save opened on 2.1 can never go back to 2.0.

What an update changes and what it keeps

Which version should the server run?

Factorio's own version API showed these at the start of October 2026:

Wube said in Friday Facts #444 that "2.0 save games will load" on 2.1, and "Once updated, blueprints and save games cannot be downgraded to 2.0." More on what changed is in our Factorio 2.1 update guide.

What goes where

Before you start

• Pick the version as a group. Everyone, the server included, ends up on one exact version.
• Check your mods. Open each mod on mods.factorio.com and check it has a release for the Factorio version you are moving to.
• Leave Space Age as it is. An update is not the moment to switch the expansion on or off, since that changes an existing map.

Step 1: Save and stop

Type /server-save in the console, then stop the server.

Step 2: Back up first

Copy the save .zip and the whole mods folder off the server. This is your only way back if a mod breaks the map or the new version is not what your group wants.

Step 3: Update the server

Download the headless release for the exact version from factorio.com, then extract it over the install, keeping your own folders:

cd /opt/factorio
wget -O factorio.tar.xz https://www.factorio.com/get-download/2.0.77/headless/linux64
tar -xf factorio.tar.xz --strip-components=1

Use experimental or a 2.1 version number in place of 2.0.77 only if your whole group is moving to 2.1. Steam players opt in under Properties > Game Versions and Betas.

Step 4: Update the mods

The headless server does not update mods by itself. The simple way:

1. In your own game, open Mods, update everything, and load the save once to check it works.
2. Upload the new .zip files from your PC's mods folder to the server's mods/.
3. Delete the old version of each mod from the server, so only one zip per mod is left.
4. Upload your mod-list.json and mod-settings.dat too if you changed which mods are on or their startup settings.

The --sync-mods option can match a server's mods to a save, but on a headless server it needs your factorio.com username and token. See how to install mods on a Factorio server for the full mod setup.

Step 5: Start and let players sync

Start the server and read the console. It lists every mod it loads, and a mod that is not built for this Factorio version shows up there by name, often stopping the start. Players then join, and Factorio offers to download the exact mod versions the server runs from the mod portal.

The gotcha: the save follows the version, and mods follow too

Every mod is built for one Factorio version (its factorio_version in info.json). A mod with only 2.0 releases will not load on 2.1. People update the server to 2.1, see the mod error, remove the mod to get going, and play for an evening. Now the save is a 2.1 save, and whatever that mod added has been removed from the map. Neither can be undone without the backup.

So check every mod first, and if a mod you depend on has no release for the new version, keep the whole group on the old version until it does.

Common problems

• "Version mismatch detected!" when joining: the player and server differ, even by a point release. See the Factorio version mismatch fix.
• Server stops on start naming a mod: that mod has no release for this Factorio version, or a dependency is missing. Update or remove it.
• "Mods mismatch detected!": a player has different mod versions. Use Sync mods with server when joining.
• Map loads with buildings missing: a mod was removed or failed to load, and Factorio removed its entities. Restore the backup and fix the mod first.
• Startup settings differ for players: mod-settings.dat on the server does not match. Upload yours.
• Server still on the old version: the archive was extracted into a subfolder instead of over the install.

Updating on GamezServers

On a GamezServers Factorio server, the version is the Factorio version setting in Settings: latest for the newest stable, experimental for 2.1, or an exact number like 2.0.77. Press Update game and we back up your map, then install that version. Your saves, mods and settings stay. Mods are still yours to swap in mods/ from the Files tab or over SFTP, and Backup before you do.

FAQ

Does updating a Factorio server delete my save?

No. Saves in saves/ stay, and the new version upgrades the map the next time it saves. Back the zip up first so you can go back.

Can I go back from Factorio 2.1 to 2.0?

Only with a backup from before the update. Wube says 2.1 saves and blueprints cannot be downgraded to 2.0.

Do Factorio mods update automatically on a server?

No. The headless server runs whatever zips are in mods/. Update them in your own game and upload the new zips, then players sync on join.

How do I find which Factorio version my server runs?

The server prints its version at the top of the console log when it starts, and players see it in the version mismatch message if theirs differs.