Where Does MelonLoader Store Mods and Configs?
MelonLoader lives inside each game's folder: mods in Mods, configs in UserData, preferences in MelonPreferences.cfg, generated on first launch.
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MelonLoader installs per game, mirroring the BepInEx idea for IL2CPP and Unity titles. Everything nests inside the game's own root folder: the Mods directory for plugins, UserData for their configs and data, and MelonPreferences.cfg for loader options. Two modded games never share state.
First launch builds the scaffolding. Run the game once and the folders, preferences file, and latest log appear. From then on, mod management is file management: add DLLs to Mods, tune CFGs in UserData, and read the log when something breaks.
Where MelonLoader stores this, by platform
[GameFolder]\Mods
The game root is the folder with the game's .exe. Mod DLLs go in Mods, plugin configs land in UserData, and the loader log sits beside MelonPreferences.cfg after each run.
[GameFolder]/Mods
Same per-game layout inside the Proton prefix (steamapps/common/<Game> reached through compatdata/<AppID>/pfx). Configs and logs use the same names, so Windows mod guides transfer directly.
Frequently asked questions
There is no MelonLoader output after installing. What is wrong?
Launch the game once with MelonLoader installed. First boot generates MelonPreferences.cfg, the Mods and UserData folders, and the log. A missing MelonLoader folder means the files went to the wrong directory.
How do I install a MelonLoader mod?
Drop the .dll into the Mods folder and launch. Its config appears under UserData after that first run. MelonPreferences.cfg holds the loader's own options like log mode and console colors.
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