Arma Reforger mod failures usually come from one of five layers: the client cannot download or activate content, the server’s game.mods configuration is wrong, a dependency is missing, the server and clients are on different branches or versions, or the host cannot write downloaded files. Identify the layer before changing files. A client download problem needs a retry and storage/cache check; a startup or join problem needs a configuration, dependency, version, or server-log check.
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This guide gives you a controlled repair sequence: classify the symptom, regenerate the server list from the Mod Manager, verify every GUID and version, resolve the complete dependency chain, align branches, repair write paths, and isolate conflicts without destroying a known-good setup.
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Start by identifying which failure you have
The same “mods do not work” description can refer to very different faults. Use the first visible symptom to choose the right investigation.
| Symptom | Most useful first checks | Evidence to collect |
|---|---|---|
| A mod never finishes downloading or updating on a client | Restart the game, retry the Mod Manager download, check free storage, confirm the game version and branch, and consider a temporary backend or cache problem. | Mod name, download error text, game branch, timestamp, and whether another mod downloads successfully. |
| The dedicated server will not start after a mod was added | Inspect the server log and the game.mods array for malformed JSON, stale GUIDs, unavailable required addons, duplicate entries, or a missing dependency. |
Exact startup error, complete mod array, each GUID and version, and the server branch. |
| The server starts, but a client cannot join | Compare server and client branches, versions, required flags, and the full dependency chain. Confirm that every required addon can be downloaded. | Join error, scenario name, client and server versions, branch names, and the mod list from both sides. |
| The game reports that mod content does not match the server | Check pinned versions, incomplete updates, duplicate entries, and whether the client is using the same Workshop branch as the server. | GUID, version shown on the server, version installed on the client, and update time. |
An ADDON_LOAD_ERROR appears or behavior changes after one addition |
Disable the recently added or suspect addon, restart, and re-enable candidates one at a time. | The first mod that reproduces the error and the log excerpt immediately before it. |
Bohemia Interactive identifies version mismatches, incomplete downloads, limited storage, and recent updates as common mod-related causes. Its multiplayer guidance also points to temporary backend issues, interrupted downloads, and local cache problems. That makes a restart and retry a sensible first action for a client download failure, but not a substitute for reading the server log when the server itself will not start.
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Repair client download and activation failures
1. Restart the download cleanly
Exit the game, launch it again, and let the Mod Manager retry the affected download or update. An interrupted transfer can leave content present but incomplete, so a mod may appear in the list while still failing activation. Do not assume that seeing a folder or an entry means the addon is usable.
2. Check storage before retrying repeatedly
Confirm that the drive containing the game and mod data has enough free space for the update and any temporary files. Limited storage is a documented cause of incomplete mod downloads. If the machine is close to full, free space first and then restart the download rather than repeatedly clicking retry.
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3. Treat cache and backend failures as temporary possibilities
A local cache problem or a short-lived backend outage can interrupt a download even when the mod and server configuration are correct. Restart the game and retry later if the same content fails while unrelated Workshop content also fails. Record the time of the failure so a host or support team can correlate it with server logs.
4. Verify the game branch and version
After a game update, allow every selected mod to finish updating before joining a server. A client that has updated the game but still has an older addon build can fail content validation. Check the branch as well as the version; stable and experimental Workshop content are separate, so a mod published to one branch is not visible in the other.
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Rebuild the server’s mod list instead of editing it blindly
The safest way to create the server configuration is to use the game’s Mod Manager as the source of the list. Activate the intended Workshop mods there, open the JSON view, and copy the generated list into the server configuration. The official server format places addon entries in the game.mods array.
What each entry must communicate
| Field | Purpose | Validation question |
|---|---|---|
| Workshop GUID | Identifies the exact addon. | Does it exactly match the GUID on the addon’s Workshop page? |
| Version | Optionally pins the addon to a specific available version. | Is the pinned version intentional and available to the server’s branch? |
required |
Controls whether clients must have the addon and whether its unavailability can block operation. | Should the server require this content for the selected scenario, or can it be optional? |
An omitted version means the latest available version is used. That is convenient for a list that should follow Workshop updates, but it also means the server can move to a newer build without a manually edited pin. Keep a version explicit when reproducibility is more important than automatic updates.
Validate the generated JSON
- Make sure the JSON is syntactically valid and that the
game.modsarray is in the expected location. - Compare every GUID with its Workshop page; one stale or mistyped identifier can prevent the intended content from loading.
- Preserve the documented capitalization. Configuration values are case-sensitive.
- Remove duplicate entries. A duplicate can make it unclear which version or required state the server is meant to use.
- Review required flags against the scenario. A required addon that cannot be downloaded can block startup, while an optional addon may be removed with a warning.
- Restart the server after saving the corrected configuration and read the new startup log rather than relying on an old error message.
Resolve the complete dependency chain
A scenario, vehicle pack, terrain, faction, or weapon addon may depend on shared core content. Installing only the top-level scenario is not enough. The server and joining clients need every dependency that the scenario declares.
Check direct and transitive dependencies
Dependencies can be transitive. If addon A requires addon B, and B requires addon C, the working set is A, B, and C. Looking only at A’s page can miss a dependency introduced by B. Follow each dependency until the chain ends, then compare that complete set with the server’s game.mods array.
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Use the error to locate the missing layer
If the scenario is visible but fails during loading, inspect its dependency list and then inspect the dependencies of those listed addons. A missing core, terrain, faction, or weapon package can present as a generic content failure. Add the missing item, regenerate the JSON list, and restart before changing unrelated settings.
Keep the client and server sets equivalent
The server can automatically download and activate required addons for a joining client, but that mechanism still depends on the server having the correct GUIDs, versions, and branch availability. A client with a different pinned version, an incomplete download, or a mod from the other Workshop branch can still fail to join.
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Confirm that the dedicated server, the administrator’s client, and every joining client use the same stable or experimental branch. Bohemia’s publishing documentation treats the two Workshop branches separately: content published to one is not visible in the other.
Check all three sides
- Server installation branch.
- Administrator client branch used to build or inspect the Mod Manager list.
- Branch used by each joining client.
Branch alignment must accompany version alignment. A server and client can both be fully updated yet still disagree if one is on stable and the other is on experimental. After switching branches or applying a game update, let the Mod Manager complete its addon updates before attempting another join.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Fix dedicated-server download and write failures
A server may have the right configuration and dependencies but still fail while downloading large addons. On a dedicated server or container, verify that the addon download location and temporary directories exist and are writable by the account running the server.
Recognize curl code 23
Hosting documentation describes curl code 23 when a container cannot write downloaded large mods. This points to a filesystem or permission problem, not a bad GUID. Check directory ownership, permissions, available space, and container volume mounts. Ensure the process can create and extend files rather than merely read the directory.
Provide a writable temporary directory
If the default temporary path is unsuitable, configure a writable location with -addonTempDir. Create the directory before starting the server, grant the server process write access, and confirm that the path is inside a persistent volume when the host recreates containers. Retry the download only after the write path has been corrected.
Separate storage failure from configuration failure
A malformed JSON file normally appears during configuration parsing or startup. A curl code 23 or a download that stops while writing points instead to storage, permissions, or the temporary path. Keep those investigations separate so you do not keep editing GUIDs to solve a filesystem error.
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Isolate mod conflicts without losing a working baseline
If the server worked before a particular addition, preserve the previous list and test the change in isolation. The official mod guidance recommends disabling mods in the Mod Manager one by one until the game runs without errors.
Use a controlled sequence
- Save a copy of the current
game.modsarray and note the scenario that fails. - Disable the most recently added or most suspect addon.
- Restart the game or server and test the same scenario.
- If the error disappears, re-enable that addon only and test again to confirm the result.
- If the error remains, disable the next candidate and repeat.
Re-enable one addon at a time rather than restoring the whole list at once. This identifies the first change that reproduces the failure and distinguishes a single incompatible addon from a broader dependency or branch problem.
Maintain a known-good scenario
Keep a vanilla or previously working scenario available as a control. If it loads while one modded scenario fails, the server, branch, and basic download path are probably functioning and the investigation can focus on that scenario’s content or dependencies. If even the known-good scenario fails, return to the server configuration, branch, storage, and log checks.
Read logs and verify the final configuration
Do not troubleshoot from a shortened screenshot or a paraphrased error. Open the current server log after a fresh restart and capture the first meaningful failure, along with the lines immediately before it. The first error often identifies the unavailable addon, malformed configuration, or write failure; later messages can be consequences.
Final verification checklist
- The server starts with the intended scenario selected.
- Every
game.modsentry has the correct GUID and intentional version behavior. - Required and optional flags match the scenario’s needs.
- Direct and transitive dependencies are present.
- Server, administrator client, and joining clients use the same stable or experimental branch.
- All selected addons finish updating before a join attempt.
- The download and temporary directories have sufficient space and write permission.
- A clean restart produces no new addon-load or configuration errors.
What to send when you need escalation
An escalation packet should let a host or mod author reproduce the problem without guessing. Include:
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ADDON_LOAD_ERRORor curl code 23. - The timestamp and the server-log excerpt from the fresh restart.
- The complete
game.modsarray, not only the mod you suspect. - Each affected mod’s GUID and version, plus the dependency list.
- The game branch for the server and each client, and the game version.
- The scenario name and whether a vanilla or known-good scenario works.
- Whether the failure is a client download, server startup, or join/content-mismatch failure.
- Available storage and the addon temporary-directory path when a dedicated server or container is involved.
That information separates a content problem from a branch, configuration, or filesystem problem and gives the recipient enough detail to test the same conditions.
The Bottom Line
Fix Arma Reforger mod problems in layers: retry and repair client downloads, regenerate and validate game.mods, include every transitive dependency, align stable or experimental branches, correct server write paths, and isolate conflicts one addon at a time. Preserve the exact logs, GUIDs, versions, and branch details before asking for help.
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