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Cities: Skylines II DLC crashes, vanished custom assets, and mod conflicts need different fixes. Start with a reversible launch that disables code mods, then verify the game installation if the crash remains, and only after that investigate DLC ownership, asset compatibility, or a damaged save. A clean launch is a diagnostic test—not proof that a particular mod or DLC is broken—and a community repair tool cannot fix every save.
This guide follows Paradox’s current support advice and the documented asset changes around version 1.5.2f1. The exact menu names can vary by store and future patches, so record your installed version, platform, DLC, and enabled mods before changing anything.
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What should I record and back up first?
Write down the game version shown by the launcher, the store or platform you use, the DLC involved, when the crash occurs, and the mods and custom assets enabled. The distinction between a crash before the main menu and a crash while loading one city determines which branch to follow.
- Before the main menu: suspect installation files, a startup mod, or a recent game update first.
- Only when loading one city: suspect a save dependency, an unavailable asset, or a mod that changes that city.
- Missing DLC items in every city: check platform ownership and installation separately from mod compatibility.
- Missing custom assets in one save: identify the asset or pack the save references before removing anything.
Copy important saves to a separate folder before unsubscribing, deleting local content, or running a repair utility. Keep one untouched backup and work on a duplicate. A repair process can change references even when it does not restore the missing object.
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How do I launch Cities: Skylines II with mods disabled?
Use a code-mod-disabled launch as the first reversible test. If the game reaches the menu and remains stable, the evidence points toward a code mod or asset dependency rather than proving the base game or DLC is defective.
- Open Steam and select Cities: Skylines II in your Library.
- Click Play. In the launcher choice, select “Play Cities Skylines II with code mods disabled”, the wording in Paradox’s disable/remove-mods instructions.
- If that choice is unavailable, open the game’s Steam properties and enter
--disableModdingin Launch Options, then start the game. - Try the same action that normally fails: reach the main menu, load the affected city, or open the DLC content.
Do not treat a successful clean launch as a permanent solution. It tells you where to look next. Leave mods disabled while you make a list of what the city needs, then continue with the isolation steps below.
What does the clean-launch result mean?
The result narrows the problem but does not identify a single culprit.
| Result | What it suggests | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Game still crashes with code mods disabled | A mod conflict is less likely; installation files, the launcher, a base-game update, or a platform issue remain possible. | Verify game files, restart, and collect diagnostics if the crash continues. |
| Menu works, but one city still crashes | The save may reference a removed or incompatible asset, or a simulation-changing mod. | Work from a save copy; identify dependencies and consider a narrowly scoped community diagnostic tool. |
| Everything works with mods disabled | At least one enabled mod or asset is involved. | Disable or unsubscribe, then restore items in small groups or one at a time. |
| DLC content is absent even in a clean launch | Ownership, installation, synchronization, or version compatibility may be involved. | Check the platform library and DLC status, then compare the game and DLC versions. |
How do I isolate a conflicting mod?
Reintroduce content gradually instead of turning every mod back on at once. That produces evidence you can act on and makes it possible to undo the last change.
- With the game closed, disable or unsubscribe from the mods that were active when the crash began. Record their names and versions.
- Launch cleanly again and load the duplicate save. If it works, divide the disabled items into two groups.
- Enable one group, launch, and test the same save. If the crash returns, split that group again; if it does not, test the other group.
- Continue until one mod, a small combination, or an asset dependency is isolated. For a small list, adding items one at a time is simpler.
- Check the mod’s current compatibility notes against the exact game patch and DLC set. A mod that worked before an update may need a new release or may no longer be maintained.
Paradox’s launcher attempts to update installed mods from the PDX Mods backend and can fetch mods missing from the current computer, but that mechanism is not a compatibility guarantee. An updated download can still conflict with another mod, depend on an asset that is unavailable, or fail on a save created under a different version. Avoid assuming that one “compatibility” mod repairs every combination.
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Paradox’s support material also mentions Skyve as a way to identify compatibility issues. Treat it as an optional community aid: check its current compatibility with your game version, and do not install another utility while the base game is still failing a clean launch.
What should I do when the crash happens before the main menu?
First run the game without code mods. If it still closes before the menu, verify the installation files before attempting a reinstall.
- Exit the game and launcher.
- In Steam, open the game’s Properties, select Installed Files, and choose Verify integrity of game files. The label can vary slightly with Steam updates.
- Wait for Steam to complete the check, allow it to reacquire any changed files, and restart the computer if the launcher continues to behave inconsistently.
- Launch with code mods disabled again before restoring subscriptions.
The official Cities: Skylines II startup announcement recommends verifying files for a game that closes before reaching the main menu and advises disabling mods after updates until mod authors have updated them. That announcement was published in December 2024; use it alongside the newer support instructions rather than treating it as a complete diagnosis for every later patch.
File verification checks the installed game data. It does not establish that a workshop mod, custom asset, or save is compatible, so return to the clean-launch branch if the crash survives verification.
Why did an update make assets disappear?
Game, DLC, and custom-asset compatibility can change independently. A missing item is not automatically evidence that the DLC license vanished or that the update deleted the asset.
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Paradox’s notes for the historical 1.5.2f1 Asset Mods Patch explain that an asset-handling change required updates to the base game and all DLC to support it, while stating that the DLC content itself was unchanged. This is a version-specific explanation, not a promise that every later patch behaves the same way. Check the current patch notes and the asset’s own compatibility information before applying that conclusion to a newer release.
Separate the questions:
- Do you own the DLC? Open the store or platform library account that purchased it and confirm the entitlement is attached to the account currently launching the game.
- Is the DLC installed? Use the platform’s DLC or manage-content screen to confirm installation, then restart the launcher.
- Is the item a custom asset? A building, vehicle, map, or prop supplied by a mod can disappear even when the DLC is correctly installed.
- Is the asset compatible? Check whether its author updated it for the installed game version and whether it requires another mod or DLC.
There is no single current support procedure that resolves every DLC entitlement, platform synchronization, and custom-asset case. Do not repeatedly reinstall a DLC when the clean game has not yet been tested and ownership has not been checked.
How should I handle custom asset packs?
Use the current official asset workflow where possible, and treat older local-pack instructions as version-sensitive. The community CS2-AssetPacksManager repository says its mod was previously needed to import custom assets and recommends subscribing to assets from Paradox Mods rather than relying on local copies.
Because that documentation is community-maintained and the asset workflow has evolved, check the repository’s latest status and the official game workflow before installing it. If a pack is no longer maintained, replacing it with current Paradox Mods subscriptions may be safer than layering another loader on top of an already unstable setup.
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When an asset is missing from a save:
- Keep the original save untouched and work on a copy.
- Note the exact missing prefab or asset name if the game or a diagnostic report provides one.
- Confirm that the required DLC is owned and installed.
- Check whether the asset author lists a required dependency or a minimum game version.
- Restore the asset or dependency before trying to save over the city. If restoration is impossible, use a specialized diagnostic tool only after backing up.
Can a save that crashes after removing mods be repaired?
Sometimes a save can be diagnosed or made loadable, but no community tool is an official or guaranteed fix. The CrashRepair project describes a mod for saves that crash after mods or assets have been removed.
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Its documentation reports files such as missing_prefabs_report.csv and secondary_references_report.csv. Those reports can show which objects and references are missing, helping you decide whether to restore a dependency or abandon a damaged city copy. They do not prove that every missing reference can be reconstructed, and they do not make an incompatible mod safe.
Use CrashRepair only when the symptom matches its documented scope, verify that its current release supports your game version, and keep the untouched save backup. If the game cannot reach the menu even with code mods disabled, repair-tool experimentation is the wrong first move; return to file verification and diagnostics.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What information should I send to Paradox support?
If the crash remains after a clean launch and file verification, collect the files requested in Paradox’s crash-support article instead of guessing at a culprit.
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- Crash dump: the dump in the user’s temporary Colossal Order Cities: Skylines II crash directory.
- Player.log: on Windows, under
AppData/LocalLow/Colossal Order/Cities Skylines II. - DxDiag report: generate it with Windows’ DirectX Diagnostic Tool and attach the report.
Include the exact game version, platform and store, DLC involved, the last change made, whether the crash occurs before the menu or while loading a city, and whether it reproduces with code mods disabled. If you can reproduce the failure on a copied save, say so and identify the asset or mod list. These details let support distinguish an installation failure from a content or save dependency.
For the launcher and startup branch, also consult Paradox’s “Cities won’t launch / crash after launch” guidance. Do not upload unrelated personal files or an unedited folder dump when the support form requests specific diagnostics.
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What is the safest decision tree for DLC crashes and missing assets?
Follow the shortest branch that produces new evidence:
- Back up saves and record versions.
- Launch with code mods disabled.
- If stable, isolate mods and asset dependencies.
- If unstable, continue to file verification.
- Verify game files when the crash persists without mods.
- Check DLC entitlement and installation separately from custom-asset compatibility.
- For one crashing city, work on a copy and identify missing references before using a narrow repair tool.
- For an unresolved crash, submit the crash dump, Player.log, DxDiag, version, platform, and reproduction details.
This order favors reversibility and evidence. Disabling subscriptions is easier to undo than deleting local files, and logs provide stronger support evidence than attributing the crash to the last DLC you installed.
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How can I reduce repeat conflicts after future updates?
Keep a small maintenance routine whenever Cities: Skylines II or a DLC updates:
- Check the installed game version before loading a heavily modded city.
- Launch once with code mods disabled after a major update.
- Wait for critical mods and asset dependencies to list support for the new patch.
- Restore mods in groups, keeping a note of the order and result.
- Maintain rotating backups of important saves rather than relying on the newest copy.
- Prefer current, supported asset subscriptions over abandoned local packs.
- Keep the original save when testing a repair utility or removing a dependency.
These steps do not prevent every crash, but they make the cause easier to isolate and reduce the chance that troubleshooting destroys the only usable version of a city.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will reinstalling the DLC fix missing buildings or vehicles?
Not necessarily. Reinstallation can help only after the platform confirms the DLC entitlement and installation are wrong; a custom asset dependency or an incompatible mod will remain broken after a reinstall. Test a code-mod-disabled launch and check the asset’s version requirements first.
Can I keep playing a city after unsubscribing from a required asset?
The city may load with objects missing, fail during loading, or behave differently depending on what the asset provided. Preserve the original save, restore the dependency when possible, and use a copied save for any cleanup so an unsuccessful attempt cannot overwrite the working version.
Does verifying Steam files remove my workshop subscriptions?
File verification addresses the installed game files, not the compatibility state of your subscribed mods. After verification, still launch with code mods disabled and review each mod or asset against the current patch before re-enabling it.
Where can I find logs if I play on a non-Windows platform?
The Windows Player.log path is documented above, but other platforms can store logs differently. Use Paradox’s crash-support instructions for the platform-specific location and provide the crash dump and system report requested by the support form.
