2.1|Jun 26, 2026
View on Steam↗Friday Facts #444 - 2.1 Experimental release
3/5 Moderate
EXPERIMENTALFactorio 2.1 Experimental is now available, featuring graphics and audio system overhauls and updated OS requirements for Linux and macOS.
Key Changes
- 1Factorio 2.1 Experimental branch is now live for testing
- 2Saves and blueprints updated to 2.1 cannot be downgraded back to 2.0
- 3Linux minimum GLIBC requirement increased to 2.36
- 4macOS minimum requirement increased to 10.13 (High Sierra)
- 5Graphics and audio systems have been overhauled
- 6Friday Facts blog posts are moving to an irregular schedule
All Changes
🧪Experimental Branch(3)
- new2.1 Experimental: Released the 2.1 experimental branch for public testing
- changeSave games: 2.0 save games are compatible but may contain changes that break existing factory designs
- changeBlueprints: Blueprints and save games cannot be downgraded to 2.0 once updated to 2.1
💻System Requirements(2)
- changeLinux: Minimum Linux GLIBC requirement raised to version 2.36 (Headless and Steam versions unaffected)
- changemacOS: Minimum macOS requirement raised to 10.13 (High Sierra)
⚙️Technical Updates(2)
- changeGraphics: Updated the internal graphics system
- changeAudio: Updated the internal audio system
📢Development News(1)
- changeFriday Facts: Friday Facts blog posts will now be released on an irregular schedule rather than weekly
Summary
The Factorio 2.1 Experimental branch has been released, introducing significant updates to the game's underlying graphics and audio systems. While 2.0 saves are compatible, players should be aware of potential breaking changes to factory designs and the inability to downgrade saves or blueprints once they have been updated to the 2.1 format. Additionally, the development team has announced a shift in the Friday Facts blog schedule to a more irregular pace as they focus on polishing the 2.1 release.