Satisfactory's Core Values expansion ditches conveyor belts for new underground logistics

Coffee Stain Studios has confirmed that Satisfactory's first expansion, Core Values, will introduce an entirely new approach to factory logistics rather than recycling the surface game's systems underground.

Set in an underground cave biome, Core Values challenges players to build mining operations in constrained spaces with limited natural light. Game director Emmet Burke was explicit about the design philosophy: "You will not be using belts. Belts would be there, but there's going to be other logistics."

The developers recognised a key design problem. Many Satisfactory players have optimised surface factories over years that produce resources and components continuously. If these could simply funnel into the underground base without restriction, players could bypass most expansion challenges. Rather than force players through identical research trees with reskinned materials, Coffee Stain opted to create genuinely new logistics infrastructure.

Art director Torsten Gunst explained the reasoning: "We would feel if it were just 'Oh, you'll find that new underground resource. This is now what you need to make belts' would just not be very rewarding. You want new resources to get you new logistics that expand the game. We are not cheaping out on this expansion. There's a lot of new stuff coming."

While the developers declined to specify which new logistics tools are coming, they hinted at the aesthetic shift. Base game machines are "quite precise, like refined super computers," Burke said, whereas Core Values machinery will be "more rugged, heavy machines. Big grinding gears, hammers bashing against resources." This description suggests mining-focused equipment may replace conveyors, though specific tools remain unconfirmed.

The cave environment itself presents gameplay challenges beyond new logistics. Underground spaces are naturally confined compared to the sprawling surface factories players build on the alien world's surface. Burke noted the design tension: "We want to be very careful how much space we allow for different players, because you still want to have the cave feeling. You want to have little tunnels to explore, and you want to make sure there's always enough area that if people want to unleash their creativity, they have the space to do that, but then you don't want to just give them a big box."

Navigation underground adds another layer of complexity. The HUD compass becomes less useful when cave walls block direct routes to objectives. A waypoint showing 20 metres away horizontally may require traversing tunnels several times that distance. Burke acknowledged this challenge: "That's been a tricky point." The team designed navigation aids such as waterfalls and crevasses as landmarks, but deliberately left most navigation responsibility to players. Gunst said, "To some extent, it's up to the player to make sure they never get lost. Navigation and orienting yourself is part of the fun. It's not going to be a hardcore challenge for the player because they still need to do their job of building factories."

Players can manage navigation by placing signposts, following their own pipe systems, or mentally mapping caves based on placed machinery.

Coffee Stain Studios plans to share more details after Core Values' official reveal, with Burke noting the team will be "much more active again with community," releasing feature posts, videos, and returning to the developer engagement approach used during early access.