Fixing the “Game Loading in Progress” Error in The Sims 4
The massively popular life and social simulation game The Sims 4 occasionally suffers from a pesky error that prevents the game from loading properly. You may encounter the message “Game Loading in Progress Error in Sims 4” when trying to launch the game or load into a save. This error essentially halts all progress, preventing you from playing until it’s resolved.
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In this guide, we’ll explore the common causes behind this error and walk through various troubleshooting methods to get your game back up and running. Whether you’re dealing with problematic mods, corrupt files, or conflicted in-game actions, we’ve got you covered.
Why the “Game Loading in Progress” Error Occurs
There are a few potential culprits behind the “Game Loading in Progress” error message in The Sims 4:
Outdated, Corrupted, or Conflicting Mods
Custom content and mods are extremely popular among The Sims community. However, as the game receives updates, sometimes these fan-made add-ons can become outdated or stop functioning properly. Corrupted or conflicting mods are a leading cause of stalled loading screens.
Corrupted Game Files and Saves
As you play The Sims 4 for extended periods and build up save files, some of these files may become corrupted over time. Damaged game files can interrupt the loading process and prevent you from playing.
Buggy In-Game Actions
Certain in-game actions have been known to bug out the game upon repeated use. Taking too many photos using the in-game camera, for example, has caused this error for some players.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Guide
If you encounter the “Game Loading in Progress” message, there are several troubleshooting steps you can take:
1. Repair the Game Files
Start by using Origin to repair The Sims 4 game files. This scans and replaces any corrupted data.
To do this:
Step#1. Close The Sims 4 and Origin completely
Step#2. Reopen Origin and select The Sims 4
Step#3. Right click the game and choose “Repair”
Step#4. Wait for the repair process to complete
2. Remove All Mods Temporarily
If repairing the game doesn’t resolve the issue, outdated or conflicting mods are likely the culprit. Disable all mods by removing them from the Mods folder.
To do this safely:
Step#1. Locate the Mods folder under Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 4 and create a backup
Step#2. Move this Mods folder to your desktop or other location outside the game files
Step#3. Launch the game and test if it loads properly without any mods enabled
See if the game loads correctly at this point. If so, you know a mod is causing problems.
3. Re-Enable Mods Gradually Using the 50/50 Method
If removing all mods fixed the issue, now it’s time to pinpoint the problematic mod(s).
Re-enable mods gradually using the 50/50 method:
Step#1. Take half the disabled mods and move them back into the Mods folder
Step#2. Test if the game loads properly and repeat, each time reducing conflicting mods by half
Step#3. Repeat until you isolate the specific mod causing errors
This 50/50 narrowing down approach helps identify conflicts efficiently.
4. Remove Custom Saves and Reset Game Files
If you still face loading issues, corrupted save files may be the problem instead of mods.
Attempt to fully reset the game:
Step#1. Exit the game and move the Saves folder on your computer to a different location
Step#2. Also remove localthumbcache in the game directory
Step#3. Relaunch – this resets the files and generates new saves
Test if a fresh game with no old saves resolves the stuck loading screen issue.
5. Recover From Backup Saves
If resetting saves didn’t help, revert to an older functional save from your backups if you have them:
Step#1. Copy the Saves folder from your backup to the current Saves folder
Step#2. Launch the game and load the backup save you want to restore
This should load an earlier pre-corruption state of your game.
6. Remove Recently Added Mods or Custom Content
If you can now load but want your mods back too, add them 5-10 at a time, testing stability each round. This helps identify new problem items since the last working setup.
Isolate and remove any new mods or CC that trigger further loading issues. Over time, newly added items may develop problems as the game evolves.
When to Contact Official Support
If you still face loading errors after systematically trying the above solutions, it may require contacting The Sims 4 support team at help.ea.com with your game logs. Include specifics like:
- Game version
- All mods/CC details along with source
- What troubleshooting you’ve attempted
Specialist support can investigate remaining technical issues on the back end.
Summary of Fixes
Here is an overview of the key troubleshooting steps to resolve The Sims 4’s “Game Loading in Progress” error:
| Troubleshooting Method | Details |
| Repair Game Files | Use Origin’s repair tool to fix corrupted data |
| Remove All Mods | Test the base game by itself without any mods enabled |
| Re-enable Mods Gradually | Slowly add back 50% of mods at a time to identify conflicts |
| Reset Game Files | Remove Saves folder and localthumbcache to start fresh |
| Revert to Backup Saves | Load earlier functional saves that aren’t corrupted |
| Remove New Mods/CC | Add recently subscribed items slowly to catch new problems |
Conclusion
Loading issues can definitely hamper enjoyment of modding and playing The Sims 4. However diligently going through organized troubleshooting, from file repairs to mod conflict isolation, usually resolves the problem. If not, specialized technical support can further investigate remaining issues.
Using the above guide, you should be able to pinpoint the specific culprit behind the “Game Loading in Progress” message and get your game operational once more.