How to Change the Difficulty on Your Satisfactory Server

Satisfactory lets you tune how challenging the experience is, from how often enemies attack to whether you take damage at all. If your current setup feels too punishing or too easy, you can adjust these settings without leaving the RiverHosting panel.

This guide walks you through the two main ways to change difficulty-related options on your Satisfactory server: using the startup variables and sending commands directly through the console.

Before you start

• You need access to your server at panel.riverhosting.com.
• Stop your server before making startup variable changes. You can restart it again once the changes are saved.
• Some difficulty options in Satisfactory are session-level settings, meaning they are tied to the save game rather than the server itself. Changes made through the console will apply to the active session.

1. How to adjust difficulty using the Startup tab

The Startup tab lets you set server-level launch options that apply each time your server starts. Some difficulty-adjacent options, such as disabling arachnophobia mode or adjusting autosave intervals, are configured here.

1. Log in to the RiverHosting panel.
2. Click on your Satisfactory server to open it.
3. Click Startup in the left-hand menu.
4. Look through the available startup variables. These are the options you can adjust before the server launches.
5. Change any relevant values to match your preferred setup.
6. Click Stop on the main server page if your server is currently running.
7. Click Start to restart the server and apply your new startup settings.

2. How to change difficulty settings using the Console

Satisfactory supports in-game server commands that can adjust session-level options while the server is running. You can send these commands directly from the RiverHosting panel without needing to be inside the game.

1. Log in to the RiverHosting panel.
2. Click on your Satisfactory server to open it.
3. Click Console in the left-hand menu.
4. Make sure your server is running. If it is not, click Start first.
5. Type your command into the input field at the bottom of the console and press Enter to send it.

Satisfactory's dedicated server supports a set of server manager commands. For example, you can use the console to check the current server state or trigger actions on the active session. Refer to the official Satisfactory dedicated server documentation for a current list of supported commands, as these can change between game updates.

3. How to start a new session with different difficulty settings

If you want to change core difficulty options that were set when the world was originally created, the most reliable approach is to start a new session from within the game client while connected to your server.

1. Make sure your server is running from the RiverHosting panel.
2. Open Satisfactory on your computer and connect to your server.
3. On the server management screen inside the game, choose the option to create a new game session.
4. Select your preferred difficulty and game options during the new session setup.
5. Start the new session. It will be saved on your server automatically.

Troubleshooting

• Changes from the Startup tab are not taking effect. Make sure you fully stopped and restarted the server after saving your changes. A live reload is not enough for startup variables.
• Console commands are not being recognised. Satisfactory's dedicated server command set is limited compared to the in-game console. Double-check that the command you are using is supported on dedicated servers, not just in single-player.
• Difficulty options are greyed out in the game. Some options can only be set when creating a new session. If the setting you want is not adjustable on an existing save, starting a new session is the only way to change it.
• The server is not saving after a session change. Satisfactory autosaves periodically. If you want to force a save, use the in-game save option from the server management screen inside the game client.

Need help?

If you are having trouble adjusting your Satisfactory server settings or something is not working as expected, the RiverHosting support team is happy to help.