Isolate Cities: Skylines IIloading stalls without deleting files

Start a mod-free launch of Cities: Skylines II before clearing folders or reinstalling when startup gets stuck. On Steam, Paradox provides both a code-mods-disabled launch choice and the --disableModding launch option. Use them to separate a modded startup problem from one that remains in the base game, keeping your existing city out of the test.

Check the update and the point of failure

Finish installing the available game update before comparing launches. Autumn Breeze, patch 1.6.2f1 released on 15 September 2026, updated the UI framework and warned that a limited number of mods could be affected. It also fixed rare cases of the loading logo getting stuck when starting in-game Paradox Mods. Those are separate changes: record whether you stall before the main menu, while opening Paradox Mods, or while loading a city.

Keep a copy of your current Steam launch options and a record of your active playset before changing anything. Back up a city you intend to troubleshoot, and leave the original save untouched during the startup comparison. Your first success check is reaching a usable main menu. Test a new city afterwards if needed, rather than immediately opening and saving a city that depends on missing custom content.

Use the supported Steam launch choices

Click Play for Cities: Skylines II in your Steam Library and select "Play Cities Skylines II with code mods disabled". Check whether the game reaches the main menu. If the same startup problem remains, close the game, right-click its library entry and open Properties. Under Launch Options, enter --disableModding exactly, then close Properties and launch again. Preserve any previous command separately so you can restore it after the comparison.

Paradox also offers an empty playset as a way to run without mods when you can reach the game. Use the launch option when startup prevents you getting that far. Compare the same stage of loading between your normal launch and this test; record whether the menu opens, whether the wait changes and any error text. Treat the result as a diagnostic check, rather than assuming every long load has the same cause.

Restore mods gradually if the test works

If the mod-free launch reaches the menu, keep your original city protected while you investigate the playset. Remove the temporary --disableModding command when you are ready to test mods again, restoring your previous launch options. Select the normal Steam launch choice too, rather than the code-mods-disabled choice. Start with an empty playset and add content gradually. Change one thing between launches and record the outcome, so the return of the problem is tied to a specific change rather than a whole restored collection.

For an "Object reference not set to an instance of an object" error, Paradox specifically recommends disabling all mods and enabling them one by one until the error returns. Its support page says player.log does not identify the offending mod for that error. Keep the implicated mod disabled and check its creator's update information. A working menu is your startup result; check the required content separately before returning to an established modded city.

Separate texture processing from a startup stall

If you reach the home screen but buildings look dark or textures appear wrong, check the Notifications tab for Virtual Texturing processing. Paradox says to let that processing finish. This is a different symptom from being unable to reach the menu: follow the visible processing status rather than applying a folder-clearing workaround to both. Keep graphics changes separate from the mod-isolation comparison so you can tell which action changed the result.

Keep the remaining failure useful for support

If startup still fails without mods, retain the result and exact point of failure for a Paradox support request. Its fuller mod-removal option is to sign in at mods.paradoxplaza.com with the account used in the game, select your name, open My Subscriptions and unsubscribe from Cities: Skylines II mods, then restart the computer. Record the subscriptions first: this changes your collection and requires rebuilding it afterwards. Try the reversible launch check before that larger step.

For a crash to desktop, Paradox requests player.log from AppData\LocalLow\Colossal Order\Cities Skylines II and the crash dump from AppData\Local\Temp\Colossal Order\Cities Skylines II\Crashes. Add a DxDiag report: search Windows for dxdiag, open it, wait for its progress bar to finish and choose Save all information. Include your launch comparison with the files. For a stall without a crash, describe that distinction instead of assuming a crash dump exists.