Short update to avoid confusion.
We are aware of a brand new separate issue that can prevent in-game login, to clarify this new issue should not even allow players to get to the point where the game client tries to retrieve your characters.
Reports on this new issue are being collected in this forum post:
The original issue highlighted in this topic - remaining stuck on “retrieving character list” - while technically speaking still being monitored should no longer impact players at this point 