Space Engineers 2 Alpha: VS 1.5 - Modding

Hello, Engineers!

With VS 1.5 update, we’re introducing the first phase of modding support for Space Engineers 2. This includes the release of the VRAGE3 Mod HUB (a tool for mod creation, management and publishing) and VRAGE3 Mod Editor (a tool for creating mod content). These are the same tools our designers and artists use to build Space Engineers 2. You are now able to create, modify, and preview content with ease directly in the VRAGE3 engine using a visual, game-integrated workflow.

Modding Support

We made a deliberate decision to bring modding in early. Space Engineers has always been shaped by our community – especially by modders – and we want to support that creativity from the very beginning. Our goal is to make modding easy and approachable for everyone, even those with no prior experience or who were previously intimidated by the process. No more relying on Notepad++ or manual file edits! With the new Editor, modding is more accessible than ever, with a purpose-built toolset designed specifically for ease of modding the game.

This first release focuses on data modding support: skyboxes, blocks, character models, tools, voxels, animations, and particle effects are all moddable starting now.

The Mod HUB includes full mod management and Steam Workshop publishing support, so you can build, test, and share your creations without ever leaving the tool!

The Editor includes pre-generated block templates to speed up your workflow. Even better, you’re no longer restricted by entity types – want to build a thruster that also works as a light and a gyroscope? You can!

The Editor also supports Blender add-on (Blender VRAGE Tools) and handles complex features like Dynamic Gizmo Transforms (creating conveyor ports, and much more), block animations (such as infinite rotation), and automatic generation of mount points and automatic generation model asset structure.
Dummies are now added directly in the editor instead of the 3D model, streamlining asset creation and reducing setup errors.

We're especially excited to introduce support for custom Armor blocks with full deformation support - something that's never been possible at this level before in Space Engineers.

You can find the Space Engineers 2 Mod SDK in your Steam Library in the Tools section.

Note: Scripting and code APIs are not included yet, but they’ll be released later as development progresses.

There has never been a better time to jump into Space Engineers modding – with powerful new tools and more flexibility than ever before. This is just the beginning – and we can’t wait to see what the Space Engineers 2 modding community creates!

Porting Guidelines Between SE1 and SE2

With the release of modding support for Space Engineers 2, we want to clarify our stance on straight porting blocks between Space Engineers 1 and Space Engineers 2. Porting vanilla blocks from SE1 to SE2 is allowed. However, porting DLC content from SE1 to SE2 is not, and porting any SE2 content back to SE1 is also not allowed.
That said, this applies strictly to direct block ports. If you're creating your own blocks from scratch, inspired by designs from Space Engineers (including DLCs), that's totally fine – a pipe is a pipe is a pipe.

To help you get started with Space Engineers 2 modding, we’ve prepared a set of official guides and example mods. These resources cover everything from creating your first block to working with gizmos, mount points, thruster effects, and more – all using the new VRAGE3 Mod HUB & Editor.

Tools

• Blender VRAGE Tools

Guides:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3484180972 https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3482379377 https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3484189345 https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3484188451 https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3484185166 https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3484192791 https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3484187001 https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3484183546 https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3500746707 https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3500744846

Example Mods:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3485276400 https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3485296415 https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3485258032 https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3489592585 https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3485277798 https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3490416289

We’ve decided to skip Vertical Slice 1.6 to focus fully on delivering Vertical Slice 2 – Planets and Survival as soon as possible, and as polished as possible. This aligns with our Vertical Slice strategy, where each release is a complete and refined piece of the final game.

Many of the features and improvements planned for VS2 have been requested and shaped by the suggestions and ideas shared through our Support Portal. Your feedback is incredibly valuable, and we appreciate every suggestion you submit.

Check out our full Roadmap.

Help Shape the Future of Space Engineers 2

We’d love to hear from you! We’re running a short poll to get your thoughts on the direction of Space Engineers 2, and your feedback will help us prioritize.

🗳️ Please take a moment to fill it out: https://forms.gle/TUP4MZ9VA3Nd1j7P6

Thank you for being part of the journey!

Celebratory Sale

This update marks a major milestone for our incredible modding community, a true cornerstone of Space Engineers. Their creativity, innovation, and dedication have helped shape the game in extraordinary ways, and we believe that’s something worth celebrating.

We’re deeply grateful for the passion and support of our players whether you’ve been with us since the beginning or just joined the journey.

To welcome new engineers and continue growing the community, we’re offering a 20% discount until July 1st. Jump in now and help shape the next chapter of Space Engineers 2

“As much fun as I’ve had making mods in the past for Space Engineers 1, the VRAGE3 tools for Space Engineers 2 have opened up possibilities I could only dream of in SE1 – especially since I’m not a scripter.” - stonelords

“Having the chance to work with the new VRage Hub has been a great experience. In my opinion, Keen has truly understood the assignment and provided us with tools we could only dream of during SE1 modding. With a focus on using Blender for models and handling everything else within the VRage Hub, going from concept to game is incredibly fast. There are so many exciting new features and possibilities - I couldn’t wait for this slice to be released!” - Chipstix213

“In six years of Space Engineers 1 modding, I’ve only ever made one block. In two weeks of Space Engineers 2 modding, I’ve already made nearly a dozen.” - Jakaria

“It's difficult to explain how much of a difference the new VRAGE3 Editor for Space Engineers 2 makes, without first explaining how modding works for Space Engineers 1: Most mods for SE1 are made through editing XML files by hand, with a text editor. The fact that this is possible and common in the first place, speaks for the accessibility of modding SE1 - it is very easy to get started, even with no prior modding experience. But modding like this can be a tedious and slow process. Once 3D models and textures enter the picture, the situation is better: The vast majority of mods that include these, are made with the free 3D modelling application Blender and the add-on Space Engineers Utilities (SEUT) that I have developed with the help of many contributors. The situation is similar with other community-made modding tools, such as the Particle Editor plugin by Digi, or the Steam Workshop Tool by Gwindalmir. However, with their nature as community-built tools, and with Space Engineers originally developed with its own toolset in mind, they will always have their limitations.

The situation with SE2 will be fundamentally different: Whereas SE1 was developed with tools of which only some could be publicly released, the VRAGE3 Editor is a core component of the development of SE2 - and it has been created from the ground up to also be a modding tool. Editing XML data files directly is not needed anymore, because the editor makes it unnecessary: It provides a user interface to edit the data on which SE2 runs. Furthermore, the editor also includes many shortcuts and streamlines the workflow for modders tremendously, by including various tools that were separate or not available for modding SE1. A good example for this is the built-in texture and model conversion to the format SE2 requires. The SE2 modding SDK will also include an add-on for Blender (VRAGE Tools) to make the process of getting a model into the game straightforward. I will be contributing to this addon as well, and implement many of the lessons learnt during my years of developing SEUT - its SE1 community-made counterpart.

To sum up: It is safe to say that while SE2 still has a long way to go, VS1.5 sets a very solid foundation for a healthy and long-lasting modding community.” - enenra (Author of the AQD and GFA mod series, and main developer of the SEUT addon for Blender)

“The new modding tools are a big step up compared to what we had in SE1. The new GUI approach would be much easier and comfortable to use for both newer and experienced modders especially due to the fact that the SE2 block system is far more complex than what SE1 has.
Additionally, new official tools open lots of possibilities which were previously inaccessible or complicated to modify for SE1 modders without using community-made tools, frameworks or plugins (such as new animation editor or particle editor).” - humanoid.mp4

“Keen’s new VRAGE3 Editor is a real game changer with functionality and ability to easily create a mod either copying vanilla assets or starting from scratch with the easily added definitions from the menus. I like that you can view your models in the editor, and make changes to particles and subparts without having to start SE2 to just test a small change. Adding your own materials is easy too with the definition lists of texture types.” - nukeguard

“Modding is the long-term lifeblood of many sandbox games, and I'm glad that Keen has provided official tools for the job. I'm excited to see what's to come, as what I've seen so far is awesome.” - Aryx

“Modding SE2 is way easier than the original game thanks to the new editor. It was quick and easy to import my models, assign the definitions and get it in-game. I found the SDK to be extremely powerful and easy to use. The automatic mount point calculator feature is also amazing! I can't wait to see what cool things the community will be able to create with this tool.” - Cosmonaut

"I love the new VRAGE3 editor and it's much better and easier to use than having to rely on Notepad++ (like I do for Space Engineers 1)." - SEModder4

“User Friendly, extensive and fastest thing to setup from start to finish. A new Golden era in Space Engineers Modding!” - Kreeg

“The new VRAGE3 tools are impressive, and there's lots of cool stuff to do already. These new tools will be an immense help to the modding community and I can't wait to see what the modding community does to unleash their need to create!” - yellow51

• First Phase: Data Modding Support
  • Skybox
  • Armor & Blocks
  • Character Model
  • Tools
  • Animations
  • Voxel Materials
  • Sounds
  • Music
  • Particles

• VRAGE3 Mod HUB released; Tool for mod creation, management and publishing
  • Mod management and publishing right in the HUB
  • Steam Library > Tools

• VRAGE3 Mod Editor released; Tool for creating mod content
  • Blender Support - Blender VRAGE Tools: https://github.com/KeenSoftwareHouse/Blender-VRAGE-Tools
  • Automatic Generation of Assets / Model files
  • Automatic Mount Points Generation
  • Built-in VRAGE3 Engine Block Preview
  • No Entity Type Restrictions
  • Proper Deformable Armor Blocks modding
  • Pre-generated Block Templates in the Editor
  • Dummies are now added in the Editor - not on the model itself
  • Dynamic Gizmo Transforms for Model Dummies - for example conveyor ports, etc.
  • Accessible Block Animations - such as infinite rotation and more

• Improved ship roll motions
  
• Added Unsubscribe Button to the Blueprint Screen
  
• Added multiple sounds (Voxel Hand, Ship Drill, Toolbar selection, Magboots, Block not placed)
  
• First-person is the default camera mode now
  
• Character Animations additions and further polish

While your feedback is invaluable, some features are not yet ready for your input. These systems and mechanics are temporary solutions or placeholders, and we’re already hard at work redesigning and refining them. We ask for your patience while we bring these elements to their full potential.

Features and improvements we are actively working on:

• World sometimes fails to load with outdated mods
• Modding: Scripting and code APIs are not included yet, but they’ll be released later as development progresses.
• Color picker will be included in undo-redo for paint gun in a future update
• After entering a cockpit for the first time after starting the game, the character may peek through the cockpit - this will be fixed in an upcoming update.
• Keyboard and mouse controls are not customizable yet, but they will be!
• Toolbar block groups and sizes (block selection via R key) are a temporary mechanism and will be redesigned in a near update.
• We’re aware of incompatibility at launch of Space Engineers 2 on Intel Arc A-Series and Core Ultra Series 1 built-in Arc GPUs. We are working with Intel to enable the game experience and will provide relevant updates as development progresses.
• We are solving ship movement edge cases (jittering in slow speeds or too many gyros present)
• Performance
  • Performance optimization is ongoing. For Alpha release, we’re targeting 16x Red Ship grids at 60 FPS on recommended hardware.
  • Autosave may cause brief lags during gameplay.
  • Performance optimizations of ship collisions and destruction are ongoing, so it won’t be lag-free at this moment. We will be continuously improving it in the following updates.
  • PCU values per block may appear higher compared to Space Engineers 1, reflecting SE2's increased detail and more precise performance measurements. While the current total PCU limit is set at 400,000 in VS1, we plan to raise this threshold in future updates as we implement scheduled optimization improvements.

• Space Engineers 2 Workshop: Displaying Steam Workshop Collections in-game is planned. We are working on better handling when Steam is offline.
  
• The current GUI (Graphical User Interface) and HUD (Heads-Up Display) are works in progress. Our team is prioritizing core functionality first. Once we've confirmed all features are working as intended, we'll enhance the visual design and overall aesthetics.
  
• Some blocks are decorative-only for now (for example, the Assembler is present but cannot produce components)
  
• The inventory system will be implemented in a future update
  
• Fracture models will receive additional visual updates in future versions.
  
• The paint tool’s limited palette is temporary; future updates will include RGB/HSV color settings and custom palettes.
  
• Work on enhanced sound effects is ongoing
  
• The Alpha releases in English language, more localizations will follow
  
• Tutorials will be added closer to the end of development.
  

This is just the start of an incredible journey, and we want to thank everyone who’s joining us on it. Your creativity and passion are what make this community so special.

Stability

• Fixed a crash when clicking rapidly during blueprint creation

Performance

• Fixed an issue where uncleared memory affected performance
• Fixed a performance issue when removing a Spotlight block
• Fixed a performance issue when using unique fonts in save names
• Fixed a performance issue when targeting an asteroid while in a ship

Functional

• Fixed an issue where the character lost speed after jumping into a wall on a fast-moving grid
• Fixed an issue where crashing a small ship into an asteroid broke the character's ragdoll
• Fixed an issue where leaving the Cockpit at high speed broke the character's ragdoll
• Fixed an issue where the set distance reset when pasting grids
• Fixed an issue where CTRL + R had to be pressed twice to autorotate a block
• Fixed an issue allowing building inside other grids
• Fixed an issue where blocks didn't snap to the targeted grid
• Fixed an issue where pressing ESC didn't always cancel paste mode
• Fixed an issue where 'Replace Grid' changed the blueprint's thumbnail
• Fixed an issue where the third-person camera was too jumpy
• Fixed an issue where rotating the third-person camera in the Cockpit was not smooth
• Fixed an issue causing camera shake when the Red Ship hit an asteroid
• Fixed an issue where the crosshair incorrectly showed after Cockpit exit if the camera had been rotated before
• Fixed an issue that allowed setting an offset camera in a grid
• Fixed an issue where it was possible to see inside grids or voxels while piloting a ship
• Fixed an issue where pressing CTRL + X created a grid projection
• Fixed an issue where Window debris could pass through blocks
• Fixed an issue where the Debug Gun didn't shoot in spectator
• Fixed an issue where grid splitting disbanded terminal groups
• Fixed an issue where saving a game with different capital letters didn’t trigger the overwrite warning
• Fixed an issue where Landing Gear didn't detect procedural asteroids
• Fixed an issue with grid jitter during camera movement
• Fixed an issue where the character was twitching when rotating at far coordinates
• Fixed an issue where long grids with a Cockpit and Gyroscopes at one end would jitter during maneuvers
• Fixed an issue where highlights were visible through blocks
• Fixed an issue where quick tool switching sometimes resulted in the character having empty hands

UI

• Fixed an issue where the Main Menu flickered when navigating to or from sub-menus
• Fixed an issue where renaming a backup save didn’t create a separate save instance
• Fixed an issue where deleted published worlds still appeared in the Select World screen
• Fixed an issue where the Blueprint Details screen lacked a tooltip for taking new screenshots
• Fixed an issue where replacing a published blueprint opened the local Blueprint Details screen instead
• Fixed an issue where the right mouse button function was missing in the 'Create Blueprint' overlay and ESC was redundant

Audio

• Fixed an issue where footstep sounds were out of sync with animations
• Fixed an issue where magboot sounds didn’t play when approaching grids or voxels in zero gravity
• Fixed an issue where ship sounds became louder after saving and reloading
• Fixed an issue where the ship's boost sound played during rotation

Animation

• Fixed an issue where the character stayed stuck in the animation from before entering the Cockpit
• Fixed an issue causing delayed hand hiding when unselecting the Paint Tool
• Fixed an issue where the jump animation didn’t play correctly while running on a ramp
• Fixed an issue where the fall animation didn’t play if the camera was rotated before falling
• Fixed an issue where the Debug Gun and Paint Tool had no recoil while using the jetpack
• Fixed an issue where slight hand movements were missing for Debug Gun and Paint Tool with jetpack enabled
• Fixed an issue with rough animation during the switch from build mode to handheld tools
• Fixed an issue where rapid left-clicking with the Paint Tool caused unwanted character movement

Particles

• Fixed an issue where Paint Tool spray particles were difficult to see
• Fixed an issue where Paint Tool black spray particles didn't appear at all
• Fixed an issue where thruster particles were offset after teleporting far and reloading the world
• Fixed an issue where explosion particles were misaligned when shooting asteroids at far coordinates

Render

• Fixed an issue where Interior lights showed through blocks at high speed
• Fixed an issue where block previews would flicker while building planes
• Fixed an issue where the precise building grid appeared blurry
• Fixed an issue where a grid disappeared at certain angles
• Fixed an issue where the Cockpit flashed during LOD transitions
• Fixed an issue where the game flashed when entering or exiting a Cockpit
• Fixed an issue where deformed armor blocks showed flickering shadows
• Fixed an issue where LOD transitions weren’t smooth on a fractured Gatling Cannon 2 m

🛠️ Feedback & Support - https://support.keenswh.com/
🗺️ Roadmap: https://2.spaceengineersgame.com/roadmap-2/#current
🛰️ Discord: https://discord.gg/keenswh
📫 Newsletter: https://www.keenswh.com/newsletter
➡️ Connect and find us on your platform of choice: https://www.keenswh.com/connect/

https://steamcommunity.com/games/1133870/announcements/detail/651444063625544979 https://steamcommunity.com/games/1133870/announcements/detail/822583385779082842 https://steamcommunity.com/games/1133870/announcements/detail/512959549469100416