Transport Fever 3 mods come from mod.io and are installed through the in-game Mod Hub, Urban Games’ official mod browser, on PC, Mac, Linux, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Subscribe to a mod in the Mod Hub, then press Activate on it in the Add Mods tab when you start a new game, and it loads with that save. There’s no Steam Workshop: Urban Games’ FAQ says the Workshop “would undermine this single-destination approach to modding so we are not including it in the game.” You can also browse the same mods outside the game on mod.io’s Transport Fever 3 page, while the in-game Mod Hub handles downloads and updates.
Below is the full process, from subscribing to fixing a mod that crashes your game, verified against the FAQ, Urban Games’ developer posts, its known issues page and the official game manual.
Quick Answers: Transport Fever 3 Mods
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Where do mods come from? | mod.io, through the in-game Mod Hub on every platform |
| Is there a Steam Workshop? | No, by Urban Games’ choice |
| How do you turn mods on? | Press Activate on each mod in the Add Mods tab of a new game |
| Where is the manual mods folder on Steam? | Steam\userdata\<your ID>\3493540\local\mods |
| Where do Mod Hub downloads go? | C:\Users\Public\mod.io\10640\mods on Windows |
| Can you use mods on PS5 and Xbox? | Yes, curated mods and console-compatible uploads through the Mod Hub |
| Do mods turn off achievements? | Non-cosmetic mods generally do, per the game manual |
Step 1: Find Mods in the Mod Hub on mod.io
Open the Mod Hub from the main menu. You can browse, subscribe, and get automatic updates for anything you subscribe to, and you can also manage your mod.io collection on the mod.io website. Mods do more than add vehicles: the manual says they can add new maps (which you can pick when creating a game), terrain generators, town name lists and whole custom economies.
The Hub also shows mods from Urban Games’ Curated Mods Program: community mods from experienced modders that Urban Games reviews for stability and visual quality, and that are free on every platform. Urban Games’ October 8 update post calls the Mod Hub one of “the more regular areas of concern” and says improving it is something the team will “look at constantly over the life of the game.”
Step 2: Turn Mods On in a New Game
Subscribing isn’t enough on its own. When you start a New Game, open the Add Mods tab and press Activate on each mod you want. The same tab switches on your Deluxe Edition and Pre-Order Pack content, which are handled like mods.
Step 3: Mods in an Existing Save
For a game you’ve already started, open Load Game from the main menu, select the save’s card and open its details to see its autosaves, gameplay settings and list of active mods. The manual says the mod tab only appears there when the save allows its mod list to be edited. If the Load Game button is greyed out, a mod that save needs is probably missing; resubscribe to it in the Mod Hub.
The Mods Built Into the Game
Four official mods ship with Transport Fever 3, and the manual describes each:
- Sandbox Mode: change your bank balance, set the calendar to a specific date, build or demolish towns and industries, and adjust cargo demand and town sizes.
- No Costs: money is switched off entirely. Everything is free and your balance shows as infinite.
- Tycoon: sets your company rank to the highest level and unlocks every perk, so you can place all landmarks and use every company tool. The October 8 update fixed Tycoon not unlocking perks correctly on maps without towns.
- Vehicles: No End Year: vehicles you can buy never retire. Once a model appears, it stays available forever.
Installing Mods Manually: The Transport Fever 3 Mods Folder
You can still download mods and add them by hand. Put each one in the mods folder inside your userdata folder, which the manual lists as:
- Steam (Windows):
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\<your ID>\3493540\local\mods - GOG and Epic (Windows):
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Transport Fever 3\mods - Mac and Linux: the same
modsfolder inside the userdata folder, which the manual lists underLibrary/Application Supporton a Mac and~/.local/shareon Linux.
The same userdata folder has a mod_presets folder for mod presets. Mods downloaded through the Mod Hub are stored separately, in C:\Users\Public\mod.io\10640\mods on Windows, and the manual says it’s “not recommended” to add, edit or remove files there by hand. Urban Games’ modding manual also mentions the transportfever.net community filebase as one place PC players can download mods outside the Hub.
Transport Fever 2 mods aren’t directly compatible with Transport Fever 3. Urban Games says mod authors can adapt them, so look for a Transport Fever 3 version of an old favorite in the Hub.
Mods on PS5 and Xbox
Console players get mods through the same Mod Hub (our console and Mac guide covers the rest of those versions):
- Curated mods: the Curated Mods Program offers free mods on every platform, including PS5, PS5 Pro and Xbox Series X|S.
- Automatic console versions: per the modding manual, when a mod uploaded through the game fits the stricter console requirements, a version with adapted textures is prepared and automatically approved for PS5 and Xbox Series.
- Known issue: PC savegames uploaded to the Mod Hub can’t yet be downloaded on consoles. Urban Games says that support is coming after launch.
The October 8 stability update (build 40420) came to PC, Mac and Linux on Steam first, then reached Epic and GOG on October 15. Urban Games says updates for PS5 and Xbox will follow separately, and as of October 19 its console release notes still list only the launch versions.
Mods and Achievements
The manual says achievements are “generally unavailable if non-cosmetic mods are used or the gameplay settings are deviating from standard values.” In other words, gameplay mods like No Costs or Sandbox Mode turn achievements off for that save. Urban Games hasn’t listed which cosmetic content is safe. If you’re hunting achievements, keep that save mod-free. Our achievements guide lists every one.
If a Mod Breaks Your Game
Urban Games’ known issues page lists these fixes:
- The game crashes while loading a save or creating a new game: disable all mods when loading that save, then log out of the Mod Hub and restart the game. If it still crashes, delete the shader_cache folder in your userdata folder.
- Main menu buttons are greyed out: Urban Games says the game may not be reaching your store platform or an online service the feature needs (the Mod Hub runs on mod.io, an online service). Check your internet connection, make sure Steam, the Epic Games Store or GOG is running and signed in to the right account, check for a platform outage, then restart both the game and the launcher.
- Frequent crashes with Park and Ride: Urban Games flagged this popular mod for crashes. A mod update on October 9 resolved them, though Urban Games says minor errors may still pop up while the author works on a complete fix. Update the mod in the Hub, or deactivate it if crashes continue.
- The game won’t start at all: disabling mods is one of Urban Games’ official first steps.
Keep the game itself updated, too: build 40420 fixed incorrect automatic activation of non-built-in mods, construction menu errors caused by faulty mods and wrong terminal assignment for stops built on modded asymmetric streets. Urban Games’ release notes also list a preview build on Steam (version 40422, October 15) that fixes slow menus when many mods are installed, Mod Hub ratings not displaying correctly and an error when moving the top mod up in the mod list.
Our crash and launch problems guide covers the other fixes, and our best settings guide helps if big mod setups slow your frame rate. If you want the Deluxe content, see which edition to buy, and if you want bigger maps, every map size explains the hidden options. Every guide is on our Transport Fever 3 hub.
Making Your Own Mods
If you want to build mods rather than download them, Urban Games publishes an official modding manual on the game’s official wiki, which says mods are shared and discovered through mod.io, “making it simple to connect creators and players across platforms.” The game manual adds that mods in development live in a staging_area folder inside your userdata folder, and that mods placed there can be uploaded to the Mod Hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Transport Fever 3 have Steam Workshop? No. Urban Games uses the in-game Mod Hub on mod.io instead, so the same mods are available on every platform.
Can you get Transport Fever 3 mods from the mod.io website? You can browse them on mod.io’s Transport Fever 3 page and manage your mod.io collection there, while the in-game Mod Hub handles downloads and updates. Mods you download yourself go in the mods folder instead.
How do you enable mods in Transport Fever 3? Subscribe in the Mod Hub, then press Activate on each mod in the Add Mods tab when you create a new game.
Where is the Transport Fever 3 mods folder? For manual installs on Steam it is userdata\
Why is the Mod Hub greyed out? Urban Games’ known issues page says greyed-out main menu buttons mean the game may not be reaching your store platform or an online service the feature needs, and the Mod Hub runs online through mod.io. Check your connection and that your launcher is running and signed in to the right account, then restart both.
Can you use mods on PS5 and Xbox? Yes. Consoles get curated mods and console-compatible uploads through the Mod Hub.
Do mods disable achievements? Non-cosmetic mods and non-standard gameplay settings generally disable achievements, per the manual.
Do Transport Fever 2 mods work in Transport Fever 3? Not directly. Mods need to be made or updated for Transport Fever 3.
Where are Transport Fever 3 save files? In the save folder inside your userdata folder, per the game manual. On Steam for Windows that is C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\<your ID>\3493540\local\save, and on GOG and Epic it is C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Transport Fever 3\save.
Is there a mod installer for Transport Fever 3? You do not need one. The in-game Mod Hub downloads and updates every mod you subscribe to on mod.io, and mods you download yourself only need to go in the mods folder.
Why won’t my mods load? Subscribing is not enough: press Activate on each mod in the Add Mods tab when you create a game, or check the save’s list of active mods under Load Game. For manual installs, use the mods folder in userdata, not the Mod Hub’s own folder, and keep the game updated, since build 40420 fixed several modding bugs.