--- title: "StarRupture Mods: How to Install Pak Mods, UE4SS and Mod Loader Plugins" description: "Install StarRupture mods from Nexus: pak, UE4SS and Mod Loader plugins, which mods the dedicated server needs, and keeping mods working after updates." url: "https://www.gameserverkings.com/knowledge-base/starrupture/starrupture-mods/" category: "StarRupture" category_url: "https://www.gameserverkings.com/knowledge-base/starrupture/" published: "2026-09-28T04:25:11.247Z" updated: "2026-09-28T04:25:11.247Z" source_format: "markdown" site: "GameServerKings" --- # StarRupture Mods: How to Install Pak Mods, UE4SS and Mod Loader Plugins StarRupture mods are all community-made. Creepy Jar hasn't announced official mod support: across its Steam announcements since Early Access began on 6 January 2026, the only "mods" mentioned are the weapon attachments you craft in the game. Even so, Nexus Mods lists 128 StarRupture mods. Most change numbers (stack sizes, inventory slots, power output, drone range), and a newer group runs as plugins on a community mod loader. This guide explains the three kinds of StarRupture mod, how to install each one, and what has to be on a dedicated server so a modded game works in multiplayer. > [!NOTE] Checked against > StarRupture **0.3.4** (Hotfix, 17 September 2026) and the Nexus Mods listings on 28 September 2026. Many mods list the exact game version they were built for, and several already say "next update for v0.4". Expect breakage when Update 3 arrives. ## Three kinds of StarRupture mods | Kind | Files | Where they go (PC) | Examples | |---|---|---|---| | **Pak mod** | `.pak`, usually with matching `.utoc` and `.ucas` files | `StarRupture\Content\Paks` (some authors use a `~mods` or `mods` subfolder) | 1K Item Stacks, Player Tweaks, No Stability Needed, Enhanced Turrets, Better Construction Drone | | **UE4SS mod** | A script folder, plus UE4SS itself | `StarRupture\Binaries\Win64\ue4ss\Mods` | Bigger Inventory (pak + UE4SS part) | | **Mod Loader plugin** | Plugin files for AlienX's Mod Loader | `StarRupture\Binaries\Win64\ModLoader\Plugins` | Compass Plugin, Better Drone Plugin | StarRupture runs on Unreal Engine 5, which is why a single pak mod is often three files. Keep all three together, with the same name. ## Installing StarRupture mods on your PC 1. In Steam, right-click **StarRupture** > **Manage** > **Browse local files**. 2. **Pak mods:** extract the archive and copy the `.pak`, `.utoc` and `.ucas` files into `StarRupture\Content\Paks`, or into the subfolder the mod page names. Don't touch the game's own paks. 3. **UE4SS mods:** install UE4SS into `StarRupture\Binaries\Win64` first, then put the mod's folder in `ue4ss\Mods`. Some mods, like Bigger Inventory, have a pak part *and* a UE4SS part, so install both. 4. **Mod Loader plugins:** extract the **Client** release of AlienX's Mod Loader into `StarRupture\Binaries\Win64`, then copy each plugin into `Binaries\Win64\ModLoader\Plugins`. The loader writes `modloader.log` in `Binaries\Win64`, so check it if a plugin doesn't load. 5. Start the game and check the change in-game. To remove a mod, delete the files you added. > [!WARNING] Antivirus warnings > The Mod Loader works by DLL proxy injection, and its author notes that Windows Defender may flag it (as `Trojan:Script/Wacatac.B!ml`), calling this a false positive. The source code is on GitHub if you'd rather build it yourself. Only download it from the official Nexus page. ## Which mods the server needs In multiplayer, the host or dedicated server decides most of what these mods change. Mod pages say where each one belongs: - **Server and every player:** most gameplay pak mods. The Better Construction Drone page says it plainly: *"Both the server and all clients need to have the same mod version installed."* - **Only your PC:** plugins marked *"Client-side only — no server install required"*, such as the Compass and Better Drone plugins. - **Unclear:** many pak mods only mention single-player. If an author doesn't say, assume the server and every player need it. Version mismatches are exactly what that author warns against, so share a zip of your exact mod files with your group, not a list of mod names. ## StarRupture mods on a GameServerKings server Your StarRupture server runs the Windows dedicated server build (`StarRuptureServerEOS-Win64-Shipping.exe`) under Wine, from the server's root folder. Steam labels this build *"StarRupture Dedicated Server (Experimental)"*. The folder layout matches your PC install, so server paths are the same without the `steamapps` part. **Pak mods:** 1. **Stop** the server and [take a backup](/knowledge-base/general/how-to-create-a-backup/) (the save is in `StarRupture/Saved/SaveGames`). 2. Open **Files**, or connect [over SFTP](/knowledge-base/general/how-to-upload-files-via-sftp/), and go to `StarRupture/Content/Paks`. 3. Upload the same `.pak`/`.utoc`/`.ucas` files your players have, in the same subfolder the mod page uses. 4. Start the server and check the change in-game. We haven't tested a pak mod on one of our StarRupture servers yet. If the change doesn't show up, contact support and tell us which mod you used. **Mod Loader server plugins and UE4SS mods** are a different story. AlienX's loader has a **Server** release, but it loads by replacing a Windows DLL (`dwmapi`). Its own instructions say that under Wine you need the `WINEDLLOVERRIDES="dwmapi=n,b"` setting, and our StarRupture server doesn't set that override at the moment. UE4SS relies on the same DLL-loading trick. So don't count on server-side loader plugins or UE4SS mods working on your server yet. Client-side plugins on your own PC aren't affected. Contact support if a server-side plugin matters to your group. ## Keep mods working through updates StarRupture is patched often. Update 2 and three hotfixes shipped in September 2026 alone. On our servers, **[STEAM] Auto Update** (Startup tab, on by default) updates the server every time it starts, and your players' Steam clients update themselves. When a patch lands: 1. Check each mod's Nexus page for a version built for the new patch. 2. Remove any mod that hasn't been updated, from the server *and* from every player's PC. 3. Expect one long load. With Hotfix 0.3.4, Creepy Jar warned that some bigger saves could take 5 to 10 minutes to load the first time, because every Pillar is being replaced. Once the save has been saved again on 0.3.4, loading is back to normal. Storage mods can also behave oddly with boxes you built before installing them. One author warns that loot added past a box's normal limit doesn't show until you use transfer-all. Back up before you add or remove a mod mid-save. ## Settings you can change without a mod Some things people install mods for are already server settings. On the **Startup** tab of your StarRupture server: | Setting | What it does | |---|---| | **[SERVER] Save Interval** | Seconds between autosaves (minimum 60, default 300) | | **[SERVER] Session Name** | The name players see when they join | | **[SERVER] Load Saved Game** / **Savegame Name** | Load an existing save by name | | **[SERVER] Start New Savegame** | Set to `true` once to create a new world, then back to `false`, or every restart makes a new world | ## Troubleshooting - **Crash on launch after a patch.** Remove all mods, check the game starts, then add updated mods back one at a time. - **A mod works solo but not on the server.** The server doesn't have it, or has a different version. Check `StarRupture/Content/Paks` on the server. - **A pak mod does nothing.** One of the `.utoc`/`.ucas` files is missing, or it's in the wrong subfolder. - **A plugin doesn't load.** Read `modloader.log` in `Binaries\Win64` on your PC. If it's a server-side plugin, see the section above. - **Your bug report got ignored.** Test without mods first. Mod authors ask for this as well. ## What to Read Next - [How to upload files via SFTP](/knowledge-base/general/how-to-upload-files-via-sftp/): the quickest way to upload several pak files - [How to create a backup](/knowledge-base/general/how-to-create-a-backup/): before adding or removing mods mid-save - [How to use your server panel](/knowledge-base/general/how-to-use-your-server-panel/): the Startup tab and File Manager - [Players can't connect to my server](/knowledge-base/general/players-cant-connect/): if the problem isn't a mod --- Made with 💜 by GameServerKings