Lethal Company’s modding scene is one of the most active in co-op gaming, and for good reason: the base game caps at four players, mods add quality-of-life improvements the developers haven’t shipped yet, and Thunderstore hosts more than 5,000 community-made additions ranging from new moons to full horror overhauls. The process looks intimidating if you’ve never modded a game before, but with r2modman, you can go from zero to fully modded in under ten minutes. This guide covers both installation methods — the beginner-friendly r2modman approach and the manual method for advanced users — plus how to share your exact mod setup with every player in your group so nobody gets the dreaded “lobby not found” error.
Before diving into mods, if you’re still learning the base game, our Lethal Company beginner’s guide covers the core loop, quota system, and moon strategies that make the vanilla experience click before you add additional layers.
Why Mod Lethal Company?
Lethal Company is an excellent game at its base, but the modding community has built an entire ecosystem of improvements that feel like they belong in the official release. Here’s why the modded experience has become the preferred way to play for millions of players:
- More players — The base game caps at four workers per session. Mods like MoreCompany and LobbyControl unlock lobbies of 6, 8, 16, or even more players, which completely changes the group dynamic and scales the chaos in the best possible way.
- Cosmetics — ModelReplacementAPI and MoreCompany cosmetics let players customise their worker’s appearance with hats, suits, and accessories. A small addition that makes sessions feel more personal.
- New moons — Community-created moons add entirely new scavenging locations with custom creature sets, layouts, and risk profiles. Some rival the quality of the official moons.
- Better HUD — Mods like LC_API and HUD additions surface information the base game buries in menus: creature scanners, quota trackers, and ship terminal improvements that reduce the friction of managing your crew.
- Horror enhancements — Immersive sound overhauls, creature behaviour tweaks, and atmosphere mods that amplify the tension in ways that feel like official DLC content.
For a curated list of the best options in each category, our Lethal Company best mods 2026 guide covers the top Thunderstore picks vetted by the community.
The Two Installation Methods
There are two ways to install Lethal Company mods: r2modman (the mod manager approach) and manual installation. Unless you have a specific reason to use the manual method, r2modman is the right choice. It handles dependencies automatically, prevents common conflicts, and makes profile sharing trivial.
Method 1: r2modman (Recommended for Beginners)
r2modman is a free, open-source mod manager that handles the entire installation pipeline for you. It’s the recommended approach for the vast majority of players and the standard method for group play because of its profile export feature.
Step 1: Download r2modman
Download r2modman from its GitHub page (github.com/ebkr/r2modmanPlus) or directly from the Thunderstore mod page for r2modman. Choose the installer file for your operating system — Windows users want the .exe installer. The application is around 100MB.
Step 2: Install and Launch r2modman
Run the installer and follow the standard installation prompts. No special settings are required. Once installed, launch r2modman and you’ll see the game selection screen on startup.
Step 3: Select Lethal Company
Use the search bar or scroll through the game list to find Lethal Company. Select it and click Select Game. r2modman will create a dedicated mod environment for the game and locate your Lethal Company installation directory automatically via Steam.
Step 4: Create a New Profile
r2modman uses “profiles” to organise your mods. Create a new profile and name it something recognisable — your friend group name, the server you play on, or simply “Main Mods.” Profiles make it easy to maintain different mod sets (a lightweight set for new players, a full horror overhaul for veterans) and are the key to the sharing feature covered in the next section.
Step 5: Install BepInEx First
BepInEx is the modding framework that almost every Lethal Company mod depends on. Without it, nothing else works. In r2modman, click Online in the left sidebar, search for BepInEx, and install the top result (BepInEx Pack). r2modman installs it as a dependency automatically when you install any mod that requires it — you will rarely need to search for it directly. However, installing it explicitly first ensures a clean foundation before adding anything else.
Step 6: Browse and Install Mods
With BepInEx installed, click Online to browse the full Thunderstore catalogue. You can browse by category, sort by downloads or ratings, or search by name. Click any mod to see its description, screenshots, and version information. Click Download to install. r2modman automatically installs any dependencies a mod requires — if a mod needs LC_API or another framework mod, r2modman downloads those alongside it without any manual action from you.
Step 7: Launch the Game via r2modman
This is the step most beginners miss: you must launch Lethal Company through r2modman, not through Steam, for mods to activate. Click Start Modded in r2modman. This launches the game with all your installed mods active. Launching directly from Steam bypasses BepInEx entirely — no mods will load.
That’s the entire r2modman process. Your game is now fully modded.
Method 2: Manual Installation (Advanced Users)
Manual installation gives you direct control over every file in your mod setup but requires more technical comfort and careful attention to folder structure. Use this method if you need a specific configuration that r2modman doesn’t support, or if you’re troubleshooting a conflict by isolating individual files.
- Download BepInEx — Go to the BepInEx GitHub repository and download the latest stable release. For Lethal Company on Windows 64-bit, download
BepInEx_win_x64_[version].zip. - Extract to your Lethal Company folder — Extract the downloaded .zip and copy its contents (the BepInEx folder,
winhttp.dll, anddoorstop_config.ini) into your Lethal Company game directory. Find this by right-clicking Lethal Company in Steam → Manage → Browse Local Files. - Run the game once — Launch Lethal Company from Steam. The game will load briefly and may close. This first run allows BepInEx to generate its configuration files and create the
BepInEx/plugins/folder you need for the next step. - Download individual mods — Go to thunderstore.io/c/lethal-company/ and download your desired mods as .zip files. Read each mod’s description carefully — manual installation requires you to handle all dependencies yourself. If a mod requires LC_API, download that separately first.
- Extract mods to the plugins folder — Open each mod .zip and extract its contents into
BepInEx/plugins/. Most mods contain a single.dllfile; some include additional asset folders. Follow the README included in each .zip if one is provided. - Launch from Steam — With mods in the plugins folder, launch Lethal Company normally from Steam. BepInEx will inject automatically and load all plugins in the folder.
Manual installation is significantly more error-prone than r2modman, especially for group play where everyone needs matching setups. For most players, the only reason to go manual is advanced troubleshooting.
Sharing Your Mod Profile With Friends
Mismatched mods are the number-one cause of connection problems in Lethal Company. If you have mods the host doesn’t, or vice versa, the lobby either fails to appear or disconnects on join. r2modman’s profile export feature eliminates this entirely by letting everyone import an identical setup in seconds.
To export your profile:
- Open r2modman and select your Lethal Company profile
- Click Profile in the top menu → Export Profile
- Choose Share Code to generate a short alphanumeric code, or Export as File to generate a
.r2zfile - Share the code or file with your friends via Discord, chat, or any messaging platform
For friends to import:
- Open r2modman and select Lethal Company
- Click Profile → Import Profile
- Enter the shared code or select the
.r2zfile - r2modman downloads and installs every mod in the profile automatically
Profile sharing takes about 60 seconds per person and guarantees everyone has identical mods, identical versions, and identical configurations. Make this a standard part of your group setup process and you will eliminate connection errors almost entirely.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
| Problem | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Game crashes on launch | BepInEx version mismatch or conflicting mods | Check that BepInEx is up to date. Disable all mods in r2modman and re-enable one at a time to identify the conflict. |
| Lobby not found | Mod mismatch between host and at least one player | Use r2modman profile sharing so all players have identical setups. Even a single version difference can break lobby visibility. |
| Creatures behaving strangely | Mod conflict affecting creature AI or behaviour scripts | Disable recently installed mods one at a time until normal behaviour returns. Check mod changelogs for known conflicts with other popular mods. |
| Game works solo but not in multiplayer | A mod affects networking and isn’t configured for multiplayer | Check the mod’s Thunderstore page for multiplayer compatibility notes. Some mods are explicitly solo-only. |
| Mods stop loading after game update | Lethal Company update broke BepInEx compatibility | Wait for the community to update BepInEx. Updates typically resolve within 24–48 hours after a major game patch. Do not force-launch with an incompatible framework. |
When diagnosing crashes, check the BepInEx/LogOutput.log file in your Lethal Company game directory. r2modman also provides a built-in log viewer at Settings → Debugging → Show BepInEx log. The error message typically identifies which mod caused the crash by name.
For advanced in-game strategies once you’re modded up and playing, our Lethal Company tips and tricks guide covers quota optimisation, creature handling, and co-op coordination techniques that apply to both vanilla and modded play.
Keeping Mods Updated
r2modman displays update notifications automatically in the Online browser and on individual mod tiles whenever newer versions are available. Click Update All to upgrade every mod at once, or update individual mods one at a time if you want to test stability before upgrading the full list.
The critical rule for group play: update as a group or not at all. If the host upgrades MoreCompany to a new version and other players are still on the previous version, the mismatch causes the same lobby visibility problems as a full mod mismatch. Coordinate updates through your group’s Discord before each session, then re-export the profile code after any updates so everyone imports the new version together.
After major Lethal Company game patches, give the community 24–48 hours before updating BepInEx itself. Framework updates that drop within hours of a game patch occasionally introduce new bugs that a slightly later release resolves. Monitor the BepInEx Thunderstore page comments for stability reports before updating after a big patch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need BepInEx to install Lethal Company mods?
Yes. BepInEx is the modding framework that almost all Lethal Company mods depend on. r2modman installs it automatically as a dependency when you install any mod that requires it, but installing it explicitly first gives you a cleaner foundation. Manual installation requires you to install BepInEx before any other mod.
Can I get banned for using mods in Lethal Company?
No. Lethal Company does not use anti-cheat software and the developer has not taken action against modding. Thunderstore mods are widely used — the modded player base significantly outnumbers the unmodded base. Stick to mods from Thunderstore and you won’t encounter any issues.
What if a Lethal Company update breaks my mods?
Wait for the community to update BepInEx and your individual mods before launching. Major game updates typically cause a 24–48 hour disruption before the framework and popular mods catch up. r2modman shows “outdated” badges on mods that haven’t been updated for the new version yet — those badges are your signal to hold off.
Can I use mods on console?
No. Thunderstore mods and BepInEx are PC-only. Console versions of Lethal Company do not support third-party modding.
How many mods can I install before performance suffers?
It depends on the mods. Cosmetic and UI mods are lightweight and you can run dozens without noticeable impact. Mods that add new moons, replace creature models, or modify game systems are heavier and a large stack can affect load times and frame rates on lower-spec hardware. Start conservatively and add mods gradually while monitoring performance.