Space Engineers News

Space Engineers Update 209 Sneak Peek: New Contracts

We’re making great progress on the 1.209 update, adding lots of new content and features to the economy system, while simultaneously improving and expanding older elements. Over the past few weeks, contracts have been a major focus.

Many of the existing contract types are being refined to address pain points and improve their overall experience, while several brand-new contracts are being added into the mix. Our goal is to deliver an updated experience that features modernized NPC grids, dynamic situations, and objectives that encourage the use of specialized craft to get the job done.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Recovery Contracts: You never know what you might find in the void of space. The existing NPC and encounter systems now have a chance of becoming the starting point of your next big payday. Explore, discover, profit.

PvE Bounty Contracts: Jump right into the action - facing off against pirates, mercenaries, and hostiles who threaten your allies. Defeat them, keep the trade lanes secure, and earn credits for your prowess.

Hauling Contracts: Containers packed with vital supplies are ready to move. Can your ship handle the additional weight and still make the delivery window?

Salvage Contracts: Valuable items have been lost in the aftermath of a disastrous event. Track them down, return them to their rightful owner, and you’ll be generously rewarded. The client only cares about their treasures, anything else you manage to extract is yours to keep.

Whatever your playstyle is, 1.209 is sure to breathe new life into your Space Engineers experience. We can’t wait to get it into your hands!

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Space Engineers 1 & 2 Screenshot Competition Livestream

Hello, Engineers!

The Forged Among the Stars screenshot competition has officially come to an end, and we were genuinely blown away by the creativity, scale, and atmosphere you captured across Space Engineers 1 and Space Engineers 2.

Please join us this Friday for Space Engineers 1 & 2 Screenshot Competition Results Livestream!

🚀 Friday, February 20th, 6 PM UTC
🛰️ Twitch: https://twitch.tv/keencommunitynetwork
🛰️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SpaceEngineers

https://steamcommunity.com/games/244850/announcements/detail/527614642864786506 https://steamcommunity.com/games/244850/announcements/detail/527616545148372954 https://steamcommunity.com/games/244850/announcements/detail/527616545148372747

Community Spotlight 🧐 January 2026

Image Credit: Cauldron by Minty

Our favorite pastime is browsing through the workshop - we are in love with all the creations our players are constantly sharing. 💫

We can't wait every month to spotlight mods and blueprints that catch our eye and have the potential to make your time in Space Engineers more interesting and unique.

Here is our spotlight for the month of January! 🤩

[h3]HIC_Prime by HIC[/h3]
HIC Prime is a habitable green exoplanet designed for colonial scenarios, survival, and industrial development within the Hunters Industrial Corporation universe.

[h3]Planet Mythu by Doctor Octoganapus[/h3]
Mythu is a cold and desolate barren world known to many as a small worthless rock. While initial surveys showed the planet was resource poor and lacked any ore deposits more recent surveys have discovered the planets hidden wealth.

[h3]Planet Terminus by Doctor Octoganapus[/h3]
Terminus is a cold world sporting vast seas, deserts, dense forests, and tall mountains. Dense forests dominate the coasts and much of the various mountains on the planet. Vast plains of frozen desert blanket a significant portion of the planets surface creating a desolate environment of sand for as far as the eye can see.

[h3]Planet Solitude by Romulous[/h3]
A cold hardcore world that only has ores at the poles deep underground (300m+). You will need an enhanced ore detector to succeed on this planet (and patience).

[h3]Economy Overhaul by Not a Chance[/h3]
This mod overhauls many of the economy features, it comes with new npc trade stations, new cargo ships, pirate drones and damaged repair grids for contracts. It also adds new purchasable store grids for Builders, along with specialised grids for Trader and Miner factions.

[h3]Extended Survival Compact by ogrimdooh[/h3]
Extended Survival Compact is a streamlined, all-in-one evolution of my previous Extended Survival modular project for Space Engineers 1. New ores, new components to support deeper progression, and more!

[h3]Can't Build Thrusters by Splitsie[/h3]
I needed a mod that blocked thrusters from being built so I made this :)

[h3]DB Physgun by Bomb[/h3]
A Physics Gun similar to the one from Garry's mod.

Allows to to grab things (currently only grids) and move them around.

[h3]Beam Blade Mod by ERR0R[/h3]
This mod adds an "Beam Blade Generator" that creates a kind of laser blade that does damage, based on 2cm beam system mod.

Well, basically it's lightsaber, beam saber form gundam series for exact.

[h3]Weapon Overhaul by JaeSmash[/h3]
This mod is a complete re-balancing of weapon statistics, addition of new turrets and a visual overhaul of existing assets. It aims to provide a more logical progression for ship combat, focusing on realistic weapon roles, extended engagement ranges, and more consistent visual designs.

[h3]Humanoid's Multi Directional RCS Thruster[/h3]
This mod adds a new RCS thruster block that can control both rotation and movement simultaneously! Be warned that RCS thrusters actually damage blocks and characters with their plume - don't place stuff in front of them unless you want it to blow up!

[h3]Ranged Drill by KevMeUp[/h3]
Ranged Drill for Small Grid using Gatling gun model. Drills around 33 small blocks in front of the drill.

Works great with a turret controller. Gives fun options like inset drills for ships or drilling below the voxel you're driving on for stone.

[h3]Pipe Hinge by Substicious[/h3]
A hinge which fits on the end of a pipe. Simple.

[h3]1/3rd Collector by Substicious[/h3]
Simply a small grid collector, at one third the size. Everything is literally one third the size, components, inventory, or as close to one third as possible.

[h3]NE Shields by ATLAS[/h3]
Energy shield system for ships and stations. Absorbs all incoming damage until depleted.

[h3]Prototech Ore Dectector by KevMeUp[/h3]
Prototech Ore Detector with 300m Range.

[h3]Prototech Uranium Reactors by KevMeUp[/h3]
Prototech Uranium Reactors - Currently 2x max output vs vanilla. (I might go to 3x later?)
Same uranium cost for power.

[h3]Drop Boxes Blocks by JejeServeur[/h3]
Here is a set of caps for your drop boxes.

[h3]Small Grid Stone Refinery by KevMeUp[/h3]
Adds small grid stone refinery. Same speed and power requirements as a survival kit. No medical comps required.
This gives a great early game option for small grid stone mining without needing to risk your only survival kit.

[h3]Smaller Blocks Edges & Edges Colorizable by JejeServeur[/h3]
Allows you to reduce the size of block edges (half-size of vanilla) and to colorize them.

[h3]Size 1x1 Tool-Blocks by SolarBits[/h3]
Adds 1x1 Tool-Blocks - Ore Detector, Ship Drill, Ship Grinder, Ship Welder.

[h3]All Corridor Mods by TheSlaveOne[/h3]
Get all TSO - Corridor mods in one place!

[h3]Ultimate Flag Mod by CHKNFRYRMN[/h3]
This mod includes every country flag (I think) with 255 flags being included.

[h3]SG Night Vision Setup by Gyrexion[/h3]
This is a setup for a vanilla night vision for small grids.

[h3]Humanoid's Realistic-ish RCS Thruster Controls[/h3]
Realistic RCS thruster controls adds an option to switch between “vanilla-like” and “realistic” thruster modes via terminal buttons or hotbar actions as well as ability to control rotation with thrusters using your regular inputs (mouse and q/e for keyboard users).

[h3]Rocket Engineering by Ph.D Composer[/h3]
Hydrogen thrusters now use a pressure system to determine the max force output.

[h3]Heightmap Pixel Mapper by cptnoname[/h3]
The Heightmap Pixel Mapper is a lightweight session mod designed specifically for planetary artists.
Have you ever spent hours flying around a custom planet trying to find that one specific mountain on your heightmap?

[h3]BeeOS Suit Voice Mod by Sarekh[/h3]
This changes the arcade-sound version of many of the suit voice lines to beeble-quotes - because it is... let's go with immersive! Yes, that's a good word for it.

[h3]GridManager by Raidfire[/h3]
This is a pretty good automation script for Space Engineers that manages reactors, refineries, inventories, docked ships, and logistics. Designed for large grids, stations, and complex industrial setups. All done at the tip of your fingers with an interactive lcd menu.

[h3]Vital Block Highlighter by yellow51[/h3]
A script that shows vital blocks of enemy ships... gives X-ray vision to them too.

[h3]Fire Control System by BigStar[/h3]
• Automatic target detection and tracking
• Ballistic calculations with lead prediction
• Autonomous target engagement
• Advanced HUD interface on LCD

[h3]Landing Gear Power by Echthros[/h3]
Enables landing gear blocks to establish electrical and logical connections with other grids.
This allows for power transfer between grids with only a landing gear connection.

[h3]Block Disabler by JaeSmash[/h3]
Ever wanted to disable a block in a mod but didn't want to modify or reupload the mod?
Ever wanted to disable a vanilla/dlc block?
This mod is for you!

We also have a Creator Spotlight series of articles on our Community Hub!

[h3]Creator Spotlight: Benokt[/h3]
Great Guardian “Hanuman”, Royal Mint “Jatayuvahana”, Fugitive Prince “Meghanada”, and more!!

[h3]Creator Spotlight: Maiden[/h3]
Junktown, Voidfall Station, HUMPBACK 38 ” LAND CARRIER ” Rover, Scrapper 99b, and more!!

Do you want to see more amazing Space Engineers ships, fighters, tanks, mechs, planets, rovers, bases, scripts, mods, encounters, scenarios, minigames, videos, and other creations?

We spotlight them every day!

➡️ Find us on your platform of choice: https://www.keenswh.com/connect

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

https://steamcommunity.com/games/244850/announcements/detail/527616545148372954 https://steamcommunity.com/games/244850/announcements/detail/527616545148372747 https://steamcommunity.com/games/244850/announcements/detail/527612739964634121

Space Engineers: Update 209 Sneak Peek - Services Terminal

Our next update, 1.209, focuses on modernizing the Economy System. Our goal is to deliver a refreshed experience where Trade Stations are useful, practical, and worth visiting throughout your journey. That’s why we’re introducing the Services Terminal.

The Services Terminal offers a variety of new services to spend your hard-earned Space Credits on. Need repairs after taking on the Factorum? Or maybe the Factorum won that round and you’d like to sell your grid as salvage? For a price, a nearby station can help you out, save you time, and get you back in the fight.

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Best of all, you can use the most impactful service right at your own base: Grid Storage. That’s right, building one of these blocks will allow you to store and retrieve entire grids. Safely store an old ship you’re not ready to part with, swap between specialized vessels, or temporarily free up PCU for a new creative endeavour. This feature can be used in any world or scenario, and will come with options to allow server admins to adjust how it functions.

Development is still early, but we’re very excited about the possibilities 1.209 brings to the Space Engineers universe - and we can’t wait to share it with you!

Want to get our teasers early and enjoy exclusive content? Subscribe to our newsletter at https://www.keenswh.com/newsletter and be the first to get the latest updates, sneak peeks, and more!

https://steamcommunity.com/games/244850/announcements/detail/527616545148372747 https://steamcommunity.com/games/244850/announcements/detail/527612739964634121 https://steamcommunity.com/games/244850/announcements/detail/527614642864786509

“Forged Among the Stars” – Space Engineers 1 & 2 Screenshot Competition!

Hello Engineers!

We are excited to announce a brand-new community event: “Forged Among the Stars”, a cinematic screenshot competition for both Space Engineers 1 & 2.

Have an eye for scale, atmosphere, and engineering beauty? This competition gives you the chance to capture the frontier of Space Engineers 1 & 2 and have your screenshot featured as an official loading screen, as well as showcased across Keen Software House’s social media platforms. On top of this, winners will also receive a Steam gift card.

Your screenshot could showcase a massive industrial build, a quiet moment in deep space, or a dramatic planetary scene. Whether captured in Survival or Creative, we want to see Space Engineers 1 & 2 through your perspective.

Our community events continue to deliver incredible creations, and we can’t wait to see what you capture this time.

Good luck, Engineers!

Please submit your entries to [email protected] with the subject line: “Forged Among the Stars – Screenshot Competition”

Entries must be submitted in JPG or PNG format
Minimum resolution: 1920 × 1080
Screenshots must be submitted attached to the email.
Each contestant may submit unlimited entries, but can only win once
Each submission must include:
- Screenshot title
- Your in-game name

Important restrictions:

No AI-generated images
No edited or manipulated images
No mods
Screenshots must be captured directly in-game
Submissions that match the visual style of our existing loading screens are encouraged.
No creations from established sci-fi universes or intellectual properties.

Make sure that you read the rules carefully, so you know all of the contest guidelines before submitting your screenshots.

The period for submissions begins on Friday, January 9, 2026 (UTC) and concludes on Friday, February 13, 2026 at 23:59 UTC.

During the following period, we will review all submissions to ensure quality and that the rules have been adhered to. From the eligible entries, the Keen Software House team will select 10 winners at their sole discretion.

Winners will be contacted via email and announced on Keen Software House official social media channels.

5 Winners

Screenshot featured as an official Space Engineers 1 or 2 loading screen
€20 Steam gift card

5 Honorable Mentions

Featured across Keen Software House social media
€20 Steam gift card each

[h3]TERMS AND CONDITIONS[/h3]

https://steamcommunity.com/games/244850/announcements/detail/527612739964634121 https://steamcommunity.com/games/244850/announcements/detail/527614642864786509 https://steamcommunity.com/games/244850/announcements/detail/491585297311596884