Abiotic Factor Mods: What Works Today, Server Installs and Community Update #5

Abiotic Factor has had official mod support since Community Update #5, released on 26 October 2026: mods come from mod.io through an in-game mod browser, and there is an official Mod Editor. Before that, every mod was an unofficial file from Nexus Mods that you copied into the game folder yourself, at your own risk, and those unofficial mods are still around.

Deep Field expected almost every unofficial mod to break with that update, and its 27 October hotfix notes still say to uninstall unofficial mods if you get a Fatal Error crash. This guide covers what works now, which mods go on the server and which go on each player's PC, how to install pak mods on your Abiotic Factor server, why UE4SS server mods don't run on our servers yet, and what Deep Field has actually said about Community Update #5.

State checked on 6 November 2026

Community Update #5 shipped on 26 October 2026, and the live build is v1.5.0.31876 (hotfix of 3 November), per Deep Field's patch notes. The Nexus, pak-mod and UE4SS sections below were written for v1.4 on 27 and 28 September 2026 and haven't been re-tested on 1.5.

Official vs unofficial Abiotic Factor mods

Before Community Update #5, Deep Field's patch notes warned that the game had no official mod support and that you used mods at your own risk. Since the update they say the opposite: the 27 October hotfix notes state "Abiotic Factor now has official mod support!", and add that if you use unofficial mods, "we're unable to provide support if something breaks." If the game throws a Fatal Error crash, their first instruction is still to uninstall your unofficial mods.

The two kinds of mod you'll find on Nexus

Community modders describe two ways to mod the game, and they install in different places.

Pak mods are Unreal content files: a set of three files ending in .pak, .ucas and .utoc, with _P at the end of the name so they load as patches over the game's own content. They change data tables and assets, such as backpack slots, storage sizes, movement speeds or sandbox slider ranges. Two pak mods that edit the same table will conflict, and mod authors usually say which tables theirs touch.

UE4SS mods are Lua scripts run by UE4SS, a script injector for Unreal games. They can do things a pak can't, such as a cheat console, resource multipliers or instant fishing. Every UE4SS mod depends on the community "UE4SS for Abiotic Factor" bundle being installed first.

The Mods folder moves with the UE4SS build. The community "UE4SS for Abiotic Factor" bundle on Nexus puts it in Win64/ue4ss/Mods/. The stable upstream UE4SS release (v3.0.1) puts dwmapi.dll and a Mods/ folder straight into Win64/, with no ue4ss/ subfolder. On your own PC, follow the instructions of the bundle you downloaded. A UE4SS mod folder should contain a Scripts folder and an enabled.txt file.

Server, client or both? Check each mod's page

A dedicated server doesn't make a mod multiplayer-ready on its own. Each mod author says where their mod has to be installed, and the answers vary. Here are some of the most-endorsed mods on Nexus, with each author's own instructions:

If a mod page says nothing about multiplayer, assume every player needs the same files and version as the server. That's the safe default.

Server-side limits can override a mod

"Better Sandbox Setting Ranges" widens the in-game sandbox sliders, for example Enemy Spawn Rate from 0 to 20. One server owner reported on Deep Field's dedicated-server tracker that their server still held values to the vanilla maximum, even with the mod installed and the modded value in SandboxSettings.ini. The report has had no reply. Don't count on out-of-range sandbox values working on a dedicated server until you've tested them.

Installing pak mods on your GSK server

Pak mods are the simple case, because they are only files.

1. Take a backup from the panel's Backups tab. See How to create a backup.
2. Stop the server from the Console tab.
3. Connect over SFTP (How to upload files via SFTP) or open the File Manager, and go to AbioticFactor/Content/Paks/. The game's own pakchunk0-WindowsServer and global files are in the same folder. Don't touch them.
4. Upload all three files the mod ships with (.pak, .ucas and .utoc), keeping the names exactly as they are, including the _P suffix.
5. Start the server and watch the Console. It streams AbioticFactor/Saved/Logs/AbioticFactor.log, so a mod that fails to load shows up there.
6. Have your players install the same files into their own Steam\steamapps\common\AbioticFactor\AbioticFactor\Content\Paks\ folder, if the mod needs to be on clients.

We've checked that this folder exists on our Abiotic Factor servers, but we haven't tested every mod on Nexus. If a pak mod doesn't seem to take effect on the server, contact support and tell us which mod and version you used.

To remove a pak mod, stop the server and delete its three files. Deep Field notes that uninstalled mods sometimes leave "sneaky files behind" on clients. If a player's game still misbehaves after removing a mod, Deep Field's advice is to clear the files completely and reinstall the game.

UE4SS server mods don't work on GSK servers yet

UE4SS is where most server-side mods are, and right now it doesn't load on our Abiotic Factor servers. Our servers run the Windows server build on Linux under Proton. The startup command is proton run ./AbioticFactorServer-Win64-Shipping.exe, launched from AbioticFactor/Binaries/Win64.

We tested this on a GSK Abiotic Factor server on 28 September 2026. We installed the stable UE4SS release (v3.0.1) into AbioticFactor/Binaries/Win64/, first as it comes and then with the DLL override WINEDLLOVERRIDES="dwmapi=n,b" added to the launch. Both times the server started normally, but UE4SS never loaded: it didn't write its UE4SS.log, so no UE4SS mod could run.

So, for now:

• Don't upload UE4SS or UE4SS mods to your server. They won't load, and leftover files only make later troubleshooting harder.
• Server-side UE4SS mods such as ResourceMultiplier aren't available on a GSK server. What the game itself lets you change is in SandboxSettings.ini, covered in Abiotic Factor Console Commands and Cheats: The Honest Answer.
• Client-only UE4SS mods such as Instant Fishing run on each player's own PC, so players can still use them if the mod's author says they work in multiplayer.

If you need a specific server-side UE4SS mod, contact support and tell us which one. We'll update this page if that changes. Since Community Update #5, official mod.io mods are the supported route (see below).

What Community Update #5 changes

Everything here comes from Deep Field's own announcements and their pre-release Modding FAQ, posted in September 2026. The update shipped on 26 October 2026.

• An in-game mod browser on the main menu, linked to mod.io. You subscribe to mods and the game downloads and installs them.
• Mods on every platform. PC, Xbox and PS5 players all get access.
• A free Mod Editor for Windows, released alongside the update. You don't need to own the game to download it.
• Automatic syncing. When you join a modded server, the client downloads and enables whatever mods that server needs.
• Mod collections from day one.
• Existing saves are compatible by default, although some mods may call for a new playthrough.
• Limits: mods can't add new levels or portal worlds or edit existing levels. They also can't add new sandbox settings, gameplay settings or keybindings, and mod localization isn't supported yet.

Your current mods will probably break

Deep Field's FAQ: "it's likely all existing mods will be completely broken when this update launches. As always, uninstall your mods when this update rolls around." Unofficial mods won't be blocked, but expect every pak and UE4SS mod to need an update from its author.

A dedicated server gets its mod.io mods from launch parameters. Deep Field's dedicated server wiki lists -Mods= with the mod.io IDs separated by ;, and -ModioToken= with a mod.io access token. Without the token, "the server will need to re-download the mods every time the server starts". Our Startup tab doesn't have a mods field yet, so open a ticket with your mod IDs and we'll add them. Abiotic Factor Dedicated Server Setup: SteamCMD, Ports, Settings and Mods has the details.

Preparing your server for the update

• Auto Update is on by default on the Startup tab ([STEAM] Auto Update). Every update, Community Update #5 included, comes in on the next restart. After a game update Deep Field disables official mods "until the creator of the mod updates the mod to be compatible", so a modded server can come up without its mods.
• Back up before that restart. A mod that breaks after the update can take the world save down with it.
• Clean the client side too. Every player should remove their Nexus mods before joining the updated server.

Common questions

Does Abiotic Factor have mod support?

Yes, since Community Update #5 on 26 October 2026: official mods come from mod.io through the in-game mod browser. Unofficial Nexus mods still exist, but Deep Field doesn't support them.

Where do Abiotic Factor mods go?

Pak mods go in AbioticFactor/Content/Paks/, on the server and on a PC. UE4SS goes in AbioticFactor/Binaries/Win64/ on your own PC, and UE4SS mods go in AbioticFactor/Binaries/Win64/ue4ss/Mods/ with the Nexus bundle. On a Steam PC, those folders are inside steamapps\common\AbioticFactor\. On a GSK server, unofficial pak mods can be uploaded by hand, and official mod.io mods are added to the start line on request.

Do my friends need the mods to join my modded server?

It depends on the mod, so check its page. Some only run on the server (ResourceMultiplier, which needs UE4SS and so can't run on a GSK server today), some only on each player's PC (Instant Fishing), and some work best on both (Better Backpacks). With official mod.io mods, a joining player is shown the server's mod list and the mods download automatically.

Can console players use mods?

Not Nexus mods, which are PC only. Official mod.io mods have a mod browser on consoles too: Deep Field's 27 October hotfix fixed bugs in "the mod browser on consoles".

Is there a mod that adds console commands?

There is an unofficial "Cheat Console Commands" mod, but it needs UE4SS, so it can't be installed on a GSK dedicated server today. The base game has none, as we explain in Abiotic Factor Console Commands and Cheats: The Honest Answer.

What to Read Next

• Getting started with your Abiotic Factor server: first boot, ports and connecting
• Abiotic Factor Console Commands and Cheats: The Honest Answer: admin access, SandboxSettings.ini and the launch parameters the panel controls
• How to create a backup: take one before every mod change

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