Satisfactory Core Values: what the first DLC adds
Satisfactory Core Values is confirmed as the first paid DLC, taking factories underground on PC, PS5 and Xbox. What it adds, and what's still unknown.
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Satisfactory Core Values is the factory game's first expansion, and it takes your factories underground. Coffee Stain Studios announced it on September 29, 2026, at its Big Break Showcase, as a paid DLC with a new story, cave biomes, creatures and buildings, coming to PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. As of September 30, it has no release date and no price.
Key takeaways
- Confirmed: Core Values is the first paid Satisfactory DLC, which Coffee Stain calls "a major expansion."
- It moves the game below the surface of the planet MASSAGE 2(A-B)b, with cave biomes, a new story, new buildings and resources, and new creatures, one of them a one-eyed alien cat.
- It unlocks once you reach Tier 3 of HUB research, after building the Space Elevator, and you can switch between the main story and the DLC story whenever you like.
- It launches on the same day on Steam, the Epic Games Store, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. As of September 30, 2026, Coffee Stain has given no date and no price.
- You need the base game: Steam lists Core Values as DLC for Satisfactory.
What Satisfactory Core Values adds
Coffee Stain's announcement press release lays out the plan. You drill down through the crust, mantle and core of MASSAGE 2(A-B)b and build a second factory network "surrounded by stone," separate from the one on the surface.
That second network is the core idea of the first Satisfactory expansion. The press image above shows the kind of factory the base game is built around: out in the open, on the planet's surface.
Here's what the studio lists so far:
- A new story about alien anomalies found in the caves. As you progress, you unlock new buildings, research and production lines.
- Cavernous biomes with new flora, fauna and resources.
- New factory buildings, equipment and products. Some resources need special tools to extract from the rock, and Coffee Stain promises new ways to mine, transport and combine production lines.
- New creatures, both hostile and passive, plus what the release calls "a friendly-feline." The key art shows it: a cat with one green eye and oversized ears.
- Easy travel between the surface and the underground once you've unlocked it.
The Steam store page sums it up in one line: "Taking the Satisfactory gameplay to new depths." Coffee Stain adds that the DLC is still in development and that much of its content will be revealed closer to release.
Building underground comes with limits
The caves themselves are part of the challenge. Coffee Stain says the natural shape of the underground restricts factory building in ways the surface doesn't, and that FICSIT's R&D team has developed new ways around that. PCGamesN's Henry Stenhouse reads it as a "tighter constraint" on layouts than the open surface, which is his interpretation; Coffee Stain hasn't shown those tools in detail yet.
When you can start it in your save
Coffee Stain says the DLC can be activated once you reach Tier 3 of HUB research, after building the Space Elevator. From there you play it at your own pace, jumping between the main story and the DLC story as you like, so you don't have to finish one before starting the other.
The studio hasn't said more than that about existing saves, or about how the DLC works in co-op when only some players own it.
Core Values release date and price: not announced yet
As of September 30, 2026, the Steam page lists the release date as "To be announced" and shows no price, and the Core Values price hasn't been announced for any market. Coffee Stain's Steam announcement links the Steam and Epic Games Store wishlist pages and says the console pages are coming soon. The announcement trailer description says the same.
What Coffee Stain has promised is a day-and-date launch: every platform gets Core Values on the same day. Meanwhile, the base game keeps getting regular updates on all platforms.
If you don't own Satisfactory yet, you'll need it. The base game on Steam lists at US$39.99 in the US and was 30% off, at US$27.99, when we checked on September 30, 2026.
Which platforms get it
| Platform | Store page | Wishlist |
|---|---|---|
| PC (Steam) | Live | Open now |
| PC (Epic Games Store) | Live | Open now |
| PlayStation 5 | Coming soon | Not yet |
| Xbox Series X and S | Coming soon | Not yet |
That lineup matches the base game's own history. Satisfactory reached 1.0 on PC on September 10, 2024, and arrived on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on November 4, 2025, according to Wikipedia.
What happens next
- Console wishlists: Coffee Stain says PS5 and Xbox pages open "in the near future."
- More details: the studio says more on the expansion is "set to follow," with most content held back until closer to launch.
- Date and price: still unannounced. Watch the Steam page and Coffee Stain's channels.
For more on what's coming to your consoles and PC, see our video game news. If you shop Steam sales, note that Steam's Daily Deals are ending.
Bottom line
Satisfactory Core Values is confirmed, paid and coming to PC, PS5 and Xbox on the same day. What it adds is clear in outline: an underground world with its own story, biomes, creatures and buildings. When it arrives and what it costs are not. If you play Satisfactory, a wishlist on Steam or Epic is the only thing to do today. If you're new, you'll need the base game and a save at Tier 3 before the caves open, so there's time to start.
FAQ
Is Satisfactory Core Values free?
No. Coffee Stain calls it the first paid DLC for Satisfactory. As of September 30, 2026, the studio hasn't announced a price in any market.
When does Satisfactory Core Values come out?
There's no release date yet. Steam lists it as "To be announced," and Coffee Stain says it will launch on the same day on every platform.
Do you need the base game to play Core Values?
Yes. Steam lists Core Values as DLC for Satisfactory, and Coffee Stain says it unlocks once you reach Tier 3 of HUB research, after building the Space Elevator.
Is Core Values coming to PS5 and Xbox?
Yes. Coffee Stain confirms a same-day launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S alongside Steam and the Epic Games Store. As of September 30, 2026, the console store pages aren't up yet.