A Factorio expansion pack is coming sometime next year. The devs say they ruled out free updates, sequels, or smaller DLC packs, and arrived at a single large expansion pack as the best way to create more content for the game.
What do we know about the Factorio expansion pack?
This news comes in one of Factorio developer Wube Software's regular Friday Facts features. In the post, the devs discuss what's next for Factorio. They say that "retiring is not really an option" and that they still want to keep working on the game. As the team saw it, they had four options: free updates, Factorio 2, smaller DLC packs, or one big expansion pack. Wube dismissed free updates as Factorio has a "smaller but more dedicated audience" than games like Minecraft or Terraria. A sequel is "the exact opposite" of what Wube wants to do, and smaller DLC packs are "cluttered" and difficult to balance. Thus a single expansion pack is where the team is headed.
In terms of content, Wube is keeping its Factorio expansion pack cards close to its chest. The devs say it would be "one well-defined product" that would be obvious and defined enough to get people interested in Factorio again. They say it's too early to show plans, but that they're using an "iterative process" for development, so the plan is pretty loose. Timing-wise, Wube says it's starting work on the expansion now, and that it expects development to take at least a year. This means we likely won't see the Factorio expansion pack until 2022 at the earliest. Wube is also hiring staff including 3D artists, an operations developer, and a C++ programmer.
Will the developers continue to support Factorio?
In a word: absolutely. It's been a long journey for the factory building sim; Wube says the game was in development for 8 years and 10 months. However, the studio's hard work paid off, as Factorio has sold more than 2.5 million units to date. There have been around 799,000 YouTube videos made about the game, and it's racked up 2.6 million Google hits over the course of its lifetime. The Friday Facts post has some more in-depth stats if you're a numbers nerd. Add to that the fact that Factorio recently received an update adding blueprint flipping and more Spider controls, and it doesn't feel like Wube is slowing down anytime soon.
We'll bring you more on this Factorio expansion pack as and when we get it. It might be a little while before we hear anything more, though, so until then, it's safe to get your head down and start optimizing those systems.
What would you like to see from a Factorio expansion pack? Let us know in the comments below!
