If you or your friends are running an older version of tModLoader (such as 1.3.5 or early 1.4.4 builds), or if you are playing on a server host that hasn’t updated its core, you may still encounter this error. Here are the most reliable community-proven workarounds.
Nothing breaks a stable mod list like an automatic update. A mod that worked yesterday may cause "reload complete joining tmodloader" to hang today because the author pushed a hotfix that conflicts with another mod.
Drop those files into your own ModConfigs folder to ensure absolute synchronization. Still Stuck? Pro-Tips for Server Hosts
The game ran out of memory while initializing the world. How to Fix the "Reload Complete" Freeze
If you are running the server, you can optimize your setup to prevent your friends from getting stuck: reload complete joining tmodloader
If the reload takes more than two minutes, the connection often times out, leaving you stuck on the "Joining" screen.
: Even small differences in mod versions or the tModLoader build itself can prevent the final "Joining" phase from succeeding. Troubleshooting the "Stuck" Screen
One of your mod downloads may have a corrupted file that only manifests during "joining."
If you are perpetually stuck on this screen, the community recommends the following fixes: Stuck on Syncing Mods Screen when joining friends If you or your friends are running an
To fix the issue where tModLoader gets stuck on a "reload complete" or "joining" screen, you generally need to address mod synchronization or network timeouts.
: If the host changed a mod's configuration settings, you may see a "Reload Required" prompt. Simply restart the "Join" process to let the game apply the new settings. Manual Mod Management
Sometimes the game window loses focus during the reload process, causing the engine to throttle performance. Press to switch to another window. Wait 5 seconds. Switch back to tModLoader. This often triggers the final "Join" sequence. 2. Manual Mod Synchronization
Reload complete.
How to Fix the "Reload Complete, Joining" Stuck Screen in tModLoader
while trying to join a friend, or are you just curious about the technical process
Before diving into advanced fixes, try these basic steps. They can resolve 60% of common issues, including the stuck mod reload.
Many large mods require library mods (e.g., HookingLibrary , ModLib , PortableStorage , SubworldLibrary ). If you have two different library mods that do the same thing, or if a library is six months out of date, the reload passes (because the library loads) but joining fails (because a function call returns garbage data). A mod that worked yesterday may cause "reload