For a Space Engineers dedicated server, the original Plugin Loader is no longer a supported solution. The practical setup is to install and configure the dedicated server first, then use a server-capable loader such as Magnetar—or the DLL launch mechanism documented by a compatible plugin. Pulsar is the current open-source hard fork for client-side loading, not a blanket replacement for server administration.
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The critical decision is where the plugin must run: on each player’s game client, on the dedicated server, or in both places. Installing a client plugin does not add server functionality, and a server plugin cannot be enabled by players alone.
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The original sepluginloader Plugin Loader project has been shut down and is no longer receiving updates. Current client-side guidance points to Pulsar, an open-source hard fork that documents portable installation and Steam launch-option integration.
That does not make Pulsar a universal dedicated-server loader. Pulsar documents three executable/runtime tracks:
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- Legacy: Space Engineers 1 on .NET Framework.
- Interim: Space Engineers 1 on .NET 10.
- Modern: Space Engineers 2 on .NET 10.
Use the executable that matches the game generation, installed runtime and plugin’s own support statement. A plugin compiled for one loader or runtime may fail silently or prevent startup under another.
Client plugin or server plugin?
Read the plugin’s documentation before downloading anything. It should state whether it is client-only, server-only or dual-target.
| Plugin scope | Where it is installed | Who needs it | What it can change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Client-only | Each player’s Space Engineers client, normally through Pulsar | Only players who want the feature | Local interface, rendering, input, HUD or other client behavior |
| Server-only | The dedicated-server installation and its loader data directory | The server administrator | World, simulation, permissions, automation or other authoritative server behavior |
| Dual-target | Both the server and, where documented, each client | Administrator plus players when the plugin requires a client component | Features split between authoritative server code and local presentation |
A client-only plugin can work for one player while that player joins a multiplayer server. It does not provide server functionality to anyone else. If a feature changes the world, server rules or shared simulation, the administrator must install the server component.
Prerequisites for a dedicated-server installation
- A Windows or Linux machine capable of running the Space Engineers dedicated server.
- A Steam account that owns Space Engineers is not required for every dedicated-server installation; Keen Software House states that dedicated servers are available to owners without an extra Steam account.
- Administrative access to install files, run the server and inspect logs.
- A backup of the world and configuration before adding executable third-party code.
- The plugin’s documented loader, game version, operating-system and runtime requirements.
Install the dedicated server from the Steam Library’s Tools section, or use SteamCMD. The community setup documentation identifies SteamCMD app ID 298740.
Install and configure the Space Engineers dedicated server
- Install the server files. In Steam, open Library → Tools, locate the Space Engineers Dedicated Server and install it. With SteamCMD, install the server application using app ID
298740and the SteamCMD authentication method appropriate to your account. - Start the server executable. Run
SpaceEngineersDedicated.exeon Windows, or the supported server start method for your Linux environment. - Complete the server configuration. Select or create the world, set the server name and access controls, configure networking and save the profile. Start once without plugins so you know the vanilla server works.
- Record the active data location. The directory shown or used by the running profile is the one that matters—not necessarily the folder where you downloaded the installer. Keep this path for backups and log checks.
- Stop the server cleanly. Do not copy a plugin into a live server’s directories while files are being written.
The installation must be healthy before plugin deployment. If the unmodified server will not start, fix that issue first; otherwise a plugin loader error will be difficult to distinguish from a basic server configuration problem.
Choose a server-capable loading method
Magnetar
Magnetar is a server-loader option with a dedicated data-root model. Its active server data root is named MagnetarData and contains directories such as Local, Sources and Profiles. Magnetar’s server builds are deployed into its Local plugin folder according to the loader’s own documentation.
Install Magnetar next to the server installation or in the layout specified by its release instructions, then point it at the server profile you actually run. Do not assume that a copy placed beside an unrelated client installation will be discovered.
Vanilla dedicated-server DLL loading
Some server builds and plugins support a direct launch option using -plugin <filepath>. The path must identify the DLL that the plugin documentation says the server can load. This is not a universal compatibility guarantee: the plugin, server build and loading mechanism must all support one another.
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If the plugin’s documentation names Magnetar, use Magnetar rather than adding an arbitrary -plugin argument. Conversely, if it specifically documents the direct DLL option, follow its required command line and dependency layout exactly.
Managed hosting
A managed Space Engineers host can handle operating-system updates, process supervision and file access for administrators who do not want to maintain a machine. Keen Software House’s official dedicated-server page names GTX Gaming as an official PC server host. You still need to verify that the host permits the loader and plugin you intend to use; hosting does not remove compatibility or security requirements.
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| Question | Pulsar | Magnetar | Direct -plugin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary target | Player client | Dedicated server | Dedicated server when explicitly supported |
| Runtime choice | Legacy, Interim or Modern executable as documented | The server runtime supported by the release | The runtime expected by the plugin and server build |
| Deployment model | Portable client folder and optional Steam launch options | MagnetarData with Local, Sources and Profiles |
Exact DLL path supplied to the server process |
| Best fit | Interface, HUD, input and other local features | World, simulation, permissions and automation | A plugin whose instructions specifically require the argument |
| Main failure risk | Wrong game-generation executable or incompatible client build | Wrong data root or server assembly | Launch script omits the argument or points to a bad dependency |
Compatibility with the specific plugin is more important than choosing the loader that appears most convenient. Check the plugin’s release notes for the supported game build, operating system, runtime and loader before copying files.
Deploy a server plugin with Magnetar
- Back up the world. Copy the world save and the server profile/configuration to storage outside the live installation. Keep a dated backup that predates the plugin.
- Install the loader. Follow Magnetar’s release instructions and create or identify the active
MagnetarDataroot. - Confirm the data root. It should expose the loader’s expected
Local,SourcesandProfilesdirectories. If they are missing, you may be looking at an unused or secondary configuration path. - Place the server build. Deploy the plugin build intended for the server runtime into the
Localplugin folder. Do not place a client-only assembly there. - Check dependencies. Install any framework, library or companion component named by the plugin author. Keep versions exactly within the supported range.
- Start the server. Launch the loader/server combination using the profile that points to the world you backed up.
- Read the logs immediately. Look for loader discovery, assembly-load, dependency, permission and version messages. A server that reaches the normal listening state may still have skipped a plugin.
- Test in a disposable world. Join as an administrator, exercise the feature, restart the server and verify that the setting persists before touching the production save.
For a multi-server machine, repeat the path check for every profile. A loader can be installed once while each server profile points to a different world and configuration root. Keep a written record of which plugin version belongs to each profile so an update does not accidentally affect the wrong instance.
Where the files normally live
Paths vary with the launcher, operating system and any custom home/configuration argument. The current server-plugin template describes these concepts:
| Component | Meaning |
|---|---|
Bin64 |
The directory containing SpaceEngineers.exe. |
Dedicated64 |
The directory containing SpaceEngineersDedicated.exe. |
Pulsar |
The client-loader directory. |
Magnetar |
The server-loader installation tree. |
MagnetarData |
The active server-loader data/configuration root, including Local, Sources and Profiles. |
Windows
On Windows, Pulsar’s data is documented under %AppData%Pulsar. A Magnetar tree is normally kept next to the server installation when using the documented layout. Check the loader’s startup output if you supplied a custom configuration or home argument.
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Linux
On Linux, the documented default is $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/Pulsar, normally ~/.config/Pulsar, and $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/Magnetar, normally ~/.config/Magnetar. A service account, container, alternate XDG_CONFIG_HOME or custom home argument can change those locations.
The safest way to find the active directory is to start the loader once, inspect its log for the data/configuration path, stop it, and place files there. Searching the disk for a second copy of MagnetarData is less reliable than using the path reported by the running process.
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Set up Pulsar for client-side plugins
Use this route when the plugin documentation says it runs in the player’s client. Pulsar is described as a portable loader, so keep its files in a folder without important unrelated data.
- Download the Pulsar release appropriate to your Space Engineers generation.
- Extract it to a dedicated folder that does not contain irreplaceable files.
- Run the matching Legacy or Interim executable for Space Engineers 1. The Modern executable is for Space Engineers 2.
- Install only plugins that state support for that loader/runtime combination.
- Optionally add the documented Steam launch options so Steam starts Pulsar when you launch the game.
- Start the game and verify the loader log before joining a server.
Steam launch options should be copied exactly from Pulsar’s instructions and applied to the game installation you actually use. If Steam starts a different library copy, the game may run without the loader even though the files are present elsewhere.
If game startup fails, hold Escape while the game is loading to temporarily disable plugins. Once the game starts, remove or update the plugin identified by the log and contact its maintainer with the loader and game versions.
Why does the server start without the plugin?
The plugin is client-only
This is the most common explanation. A client plugin may appear to work for its owner while the dedicated server has no corresponding code. Install the server build, if one exists, using the mechanism named by the plugin author.
The wrong loader or runtime was selected
Legacy, Interim and Modern are not interchangeable labels. Match the loader executable to the game generation and runtime, then verify that the plugin release supports it.
The file is in the wrong data root
Multiple Steam libraries, service accounts and custom configuration arguments can create plausible-looking directories. Compare the plugin location with the active path printed by Magnetar or the server process.
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Inspect logs for missing assemblies, architecture mismatches, blocked files, permissions and dependency versions. Reinstalling the same DLL without reading the first load error rarely helps.
The launch option was not applied
For direct loading, confirm that the server process actually received -plugin <filepath>. Check the service definition, shortcut or startup script rather than relying on a launcher GUI that may use a different profile.
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The plugin loaded but its feature is disabled
Some plugins require a profile setting, permission assignment or world restart. Test with the plugin’s documented configuration and check both loader and server logs after a clean restart.
The server updated while the plugin did not
A game update can leave an older assembly present but incompatible. Compare the server build and plugin release requirements, then use the plugin’s supported version rather than mixing files from different releases.
The process account cannot read the files
Services and containers often run under a different account from the one used for installation. Verify that this account can read the loader directory, MagnetarData, the plugin DLL and its dependencies, and that the path is not a disconnected user drive.
Security and maintenance
Treat every plugin as executable code. Keen Software House warns: “A plugin could potentially harm your system, damage, corrupt, or delete data outside the game or even install secondary software.” The same policy says plugins are not permitted on Steam Workshop or Mod.io and will be removed if posted.
- Prefer source-available projects with identifiable maintainers and a visible release history.
- Use Pulsar’s officially endorsed PluginHub for vetted client plugins, while understanding the risks of additional sources.
- Do not run an unreviewed binary with an account that has unnecessary operating-system privileges.
- Back up worlds, profiles and configuration before every loader or plugin update.
- Test updates on a copy of the world and keep the previous plugin version available for rollback.
- Record the loader version, plugin version and server build whenever you change the stack.
- Download from the project’s documented release channel and compare filenames and versions before replacing a working build.
- Remove abandoned plugins that no longer support the server build instead of leaving them active because the process still starts.
A practical verification checklist
- The vanilla dedicated server starts and saves normally.
- The plugin documentation explicitly says server-side or dual-target.
- The selected loader and runtime match the game and plugin build.
- The active
MagnetarDataor equivalent path is confirmed from logs. - The server plugin is in the documented
Localfolder or the exact DLL path used by-plugin. - Dependencies and permissions are installed as documented.
- A dated world backup exists outside the live server directory.
- Logs show discovery and successful loading, not only a normal server startup.
- The feature works after a stop/start cycle in a test world.
- Players have the client component only when the plugin explicitly requires it.
What players need to install
Players do not need a plugin merely because the server administrator installed one. Server-authoritative features run from the server. Players need a client plugin only when the plugin documentation says that a matching client component is required—for example, to display a custom interface or provide local input. Distribute the exact supported client build and loader instructions; do not ask players to copy the server DLL into their game folder.
Frequently asked setup questions
How do I add plugins to a Space Engineers dedicated server?
Install and test the vanilla dedicated server, identify whether the plugin is server-side, then install the loader named by its documentation. With Magnetar, confirm the active MagnetarData root and place the supported server build in Local. If the plugin documents direct loading, pass its DLL through -plugin <filepath>. Restart, read the logs and test a backed-up world.
Does Plugin Loader work on a server?
The original sepluginloader project is discontinued. Pulsar is its open-source hard fork for current client-loading guidance, while dedicated servers need a server-capable route such as Magnetar or a plugin-supported direct DLL mechanism.
Where do I put the plugin DLL?
There is no universal folder. A Magnetar server build belongs in the active MagnetarDataLocal directory. A direct-loading plugin belongs at the exact filepath supplied to -plugin. A client plugin follows Pulsar’s client installation layout. Always use the path reported by the running loader rather than a similarly named folder.
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Do all players need the plugin?
No. Server-only features require the administrator’s installation. Players need Pulsar and a client build only when the plugin explicitly documents a client component or a dual-target installation.
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Is Pulsar the replacement for Plugin Loader?
Pulsar describes itself as a hard fork of the discontinued loader and is the current client-side option documented for Legacy, Interim and Modern runtime tracks. It is not automatically a dedicated-server solution.
Why does my server start without the plugin?
Check scope first, then verify the runtime, active data root, DLL path, dependencies, permissions and launch arguments. A normal server startup does not prove that an assembly was discovered; the loader log should show a successful load.
Can a managed host install the loader for me?
Some hosts can provide file access or installation assistance, but policies differ. Confirm that the host supports your operating system, loader, plugin files and startup arguments. GTX Gaming is named by Keen Software House’s official page as an official PC server host, but hosting terms and plugin support still need to be checked with the provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does installing Pulsar on my PC install a plugin for everyone on the server?
No. Pulsar loads client-side code for that game installation. Other players and the dedicated server are unaffected unless the plugin also has separately installed server support.
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Can I put any plugin DLL in MagnetarDataLocal?
No. The DLL must be a server build supported by Magnetar and by your Space Engineers server/runtime. A client-only or incompatible assembly may be ignored or prevent startup.
What should I do before updating a working plugin?
Stop the server, make a dated backup of the world and profile, record the current versions, test the update on a copy, and retain the previous build for rollback.
How can I disable client plugins when the game will not finish loading?
Hold Escape during game loading to temporarily disable plugins, then inspect the loader log and remove or update the offending plugin.
Which SteamCMD app ID installs the dedicated server?
The community setup documentation identifies app ID 298740. After installation, run the dedicated-server executable and complete its profile and world configuration before adding plugins.
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The dedicated server must load server-authoritative code. A player’s local Pulsar installation affects only that player’s client unless the administrator separately installs the server component.
The Bottom Line
Install and validate the dedicated server first, identify whether the plugin is client-side or server-side, and then use the loader named by that plugin—Pulsar for supported client loading, Magnetar or a documented -plugin <filepath> route for supported server loading. Confirm the active data path in logs, test with a backup world and treat every plugin as executable code.
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