One of the world's most popular PC factory sims is finally exiting early access

What you need to know

• Satisfactory is a first-person factory simulation game developed and published by Coffee Stain Studios. 
• Satisfactory first launched in early access for Windows PC via the Epic Games Store in March 2019 before coming to Steam early access a year later. 
• The game has received numerous updates in early access, and has crossed 5.5 million copies sold.
• Satisfactory is finally exiting early access, with the full 1.0 launch now slated for Sep. 10, 2024.

It's finally time. 

Coffee Stain Studios' first-person factory simulation game Satisfactory is exiting early access this year, with a long-awaited release date for the 1.0 release. The developer and publisher shared the news on Friday, revealing that Satisfactory 1.0 is slated to arrive on Sep. 10, 2024. 

You can check out the trailer below which reveals a new feature on the way to the game, which the team released in celebration of the 1.0 release date news:

Satisfactory Announcement - YouTube

Watch On

Yes, players will also be experiencing "premium plumbing" in the 1.0 launch thanks to this oft-requested upgrade to the toilet systems. 

Satisfactory has had a long road to launch

Satisfactory first launched in early access for Windows PC through the Epic Games Store all the way back in March 2019. It would then join Steam early access a year later, with numerous updates adding new planned gameplay systems and responding to player feedback. Satisfactory has been a sizeable success, with over 5.5 million copies sold so far.

The game allows players to build a factory network (by themselves or in co-op with up to three others) on an alien world. Setting up automated transportation and defenses to keep shipments safe from the local wildlife is only the beginning in journey of optimization and increased complexity that could make Thoreau spin in his grave.

Analysis: Get ready to lose sleep

Because of the way my brain is wired, this kind of game is downright dangerous to play. If I'm not careful, I'll be sucked in for dozens and hundreds of hours without ever thinking about it. I'm well aware that I'm hardly alone, hence Satisfactory's early access success. For anyone that's curious about checking it out, know that you'll have a blast.

I'd like to congratulate the developers for sticking with it so long. Early access is often risky, and for as many big wins the program has had, there are far more games that end up abandoned or never reach their true potential.

It's certainly been a long time coming, but I'm glad to see the 1.0 launch is finally within sight. September's game launches just keep on piling up though, and with Age of Mythology: Retold, Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster, Stalker 2, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, and more all slated to arrive in the same few weeks, figuring out my gaming schedule certainly isn't going to be easy.

Satisfactory is currently available for Windows PC in early access through Steam and the Epic Games Store. The developers are planning to raise the price of the game once it exits early access on Sep. 10, 2024.