If a mod is missing or outdated, tModLoader attempts to download it directly from the server.
Manually enabling mods before joining can sometimes confuse the client-server sync. Open tModLoader and go to . Click Disable All .
If you still see the hanging message after the steps above, you have a deeper issue.
The "Reload Complete, Joining..." error is a classic modding pain point, but it is not insurmountable. In the past, it was caused by a cruel combination of a strict 2-minute server timeout and the slow, linear loading of heavy mods. Today, thanks to the diligent work of the tModLoader team (including massive UI reworks and parallel loading optimizations), the issue is mostly resolved in modern versions. reload complete joining tmodloader
If you are staring at the "Reload Complete" screen right now, try these steps in order: 1. The "Alt-Tab" Refresh
Remove mods that have not been updated for the current tModLoader core version, as they frequently break network handshakes. To help narrow down the exact issue, could you tell me:
The "joining" phase is the final handoff from the mod loader to the world generator or existing save file. If this handshake fails, you get the dreaded infinite hang. If a mod is missing or outdated, tModLoader
: Ensure "Download Mods From Servers" is enabled in your tModLoader Settings to allow the game to automatically fetch missing files.
Furthermore, internal engine bugs have historically compounded this. In earlier tModLoader versions, subsequent reloads required more time and memory due to inefficient unloading of previous mod instances. This meant that while the first join attempt might fail due to a 2-minute timeout, the second attempt would be even slower, making success virtually impossible.
Try joining the server again. This forces tModLoader to download a "clean" set of mods directly from the host. Check the tModLoader Version Ensure you and the host are on the same branch. Right-click in Steam. Go to Properties > Betas . Click Disable All
Allocate more priority to tModLoader via Windows Task Manager (Details tab -> Right-click tModLoader.exe -> Set Priority to High). 5. Use the "Enable All" Pre-Load Workaround
The message is the gateway between your mod list and your gameplay. When it works, you barely notice it. When it breaks, it is deeply frustrating. But in 95% of cases, it is not a bug in tModLoader itself—it is a memory limit, a mod conflict, or a corrupted save.