Abiotic Factor Cosmic Companions Update (1.3.0): Server Admin Guide
Quick answer: Cosmic Companions (Abiotic Factor 1.3.0) released 4 May 2026. Pets 2.0 with a new Companion Pet Slot and pet leveling, a Chemistry system with Distillation benches, a Voices of the Void crossover portal world via the Hydroplant, and 100+ new items. To update a dedicated server, run steamcmd app_update 426090 after a clean shutdown. Worlds carry forward; pets migrate on first load.
What's New in 1.3.0
| System | Change | Server impact |
|---|---|---|
| Pets 2.0 | New Companion Pet Slot, pets gain XP/level on feeding, downed-state stability via Companion Collar | +1 entity per player in active combat. Plan M minimum for 4+ players bringing companions. |
| Chemistry | Distillation Bench unlocks tinctures, weapon coatings, throwable flasks | New crafting tree, no perf cost. Optional sandbox var for craft-time multiplier. |
| Voices of the Void portal | New crossover area accessed through the Hydroplant near Voussoir, Dunkeltaler Forest | Loads as a separate streaming chunk. First entry adds 1-3 seconds to world tick. |
| 100+ new items | Expanded inventory across pets, chemistry, tinctures, materials | Storage chests fill faster. Consider raising chest cap if your group hoards. |
| Hotfix v1.3.0 (6 May 2026) | Stability fixes around Pets 2.0 migration and chemistry crash on rare item combos | Apply via the same SteamCMD path. Mandatory. |
Updating a Dedicated Server
- Announce restart in chat. Pet migration runs on first load and is not safe to interrupt.
- Stop the server cleanly via your panel or
save+quitfrom the console. A hard kill mid-save can corrupt the migrated pet state. - Back up the world save. Pets 2.0 transforms tamed creatures from the old system; if anything goes wrong on first load you want the rollback.
- Run SteamCMD update:
./steamcmd.sh +login anonymous +app_update 426090 validate +quit - Start the server. First boot rebuilds the pet AI graph, takes 30-90 seconds longer than a normal start.
- Verify in-game: connect with one client, check the new Companion Pet Slot in the inventory, confirm a Distillation Bench can be crafted.
Server Performance Notes
- Pets count as entities. Each leveled Companion is a persistent AI tick. A 6-player server with 6 active companions doubles the AI workload during exterior combat.
- Voices of the Void portal streams a separate world chunk. Allow 250-400 MB extra RAM headroom on the server process if your group explores the new area.
- Chemistry crafting is cheap on CPU. Storage of new tinctures and flasks is negligible. No perf concern.
- Save file growth: 100+ new item types means 5-15% larger save files. Bump backup retention if you're storing dailies for 30 days.
Sandbox Vars Added in 1.3.0
All optional. Defaults match the singleplayer experience.
PetXPMultiplier(float, default1.0) - speeds up or slows down Companion levelingPetDownedRevivalSeconds(int, default30) - how long Companions stay in stable downed state before requiring revivalDistillationCraftTimeMultiplier(float, default1.0) - tincture and flask craft speedVoidPortalCooldownSeconds(int, default180) - re-entry cooldown for Voices of the Void
Edit these in your panel's sandbox settings or in Saved/SaveGames/<world>/sandbox.cfg on the server.
Mod Compatibility
Pre-1.3.0 mods that touched any of these systems usually need an update:
- Pet AI, taming, or stat scaling mods (most affected)
- Inventory/UI mods (the Companion Pet Slot is a new equipment slot)
- Crafting / item-rebalance mods (100+ new items + Chemistry tree)
- Mods that hooked the Hydroplant scene (Voices of the Void portal sits in that scene)
Wait 1-2 weeks after release for community mod patches before re-enabling on a live server. Run a staging copy if your group depends on a specific mod stack.
Common Issues
Pets vanished after the update
The Pets 2.0 migration relocates tamed creatures into the new pet inventory system. Check the Pet Manager UI in your base; old tames appear there. If a pet is genuinely missing, restore the pre-update save backup and reload.
Distillation Bench recipe doesn't unlock
The Chemistry skill prerequisite ramped up in 1.3.0. Level Chemistry to tier 2 (the in-game tooltip shows the requirement) before the Distillation Bench appears in the crafting menu.
Server crashes on first load after update
Most often a corrupted pet entity from the migration. Restore the pre-update save, start the server, evict any "Bug Sample" or unfinished tame from the world, then re-update.
Voices of the Void portal is locked
Hydroplant access requires the same prerequisites as before (Sector reachable, key item collected). The portal is an additional door inside the existing Hydroplant level, not a standalone unlock.
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