Forum Discussion

Re: [Offline Franchise] saved game doesn't load


@JediRalts wrote:
@EA_Blueberry I'm very happy to see an actual reply after several months as I just had another franchise I've spent over a month on get effected by this just last night. Are you hoping for a fix that will allow access to effected files or will it just be one that prevents future issues. I'd very much like something that actually lets me back into something I've spent a lot of time in.

@JediRalts 

Just heard back that it's unfortunately not certain right now whether the old save files will be recoverable once a fix is pushed through. They want to be able to recover it for players but under some technical circumstances it might just not be possible. If you need to clear up space with some saves, at this time I would go forward with saving the franchises you want to hold onto in the event they can be recovered while you're playing newer franchises.

7 Replies

  • KingLeelah56's avatar
    KingLeelah56
    3 years ago

    @EA_Blueberry wrote:

    @JediRalts wrote:
    @EA_BlueberryI'm very happy to see an actual reply after several months as I just had another franchise I've spent over a month on get effected by this just last night. Are you hoping for a fix that will allow access to effected files or will it just be one that prevents future issues. I'd very much like something that actually lets me back into something I've spent a lot of time in.

    @JediRalts 

    Just heard back that it's unfortunately not certain right now whether the old save files will be recoverable once a fix is pushed through. They want to be able to recover it for players but under some technical circumstances it might just not be possible. If you need to clear up space with some saves, at this time I would go forward with saving the franchises you want to hold onto in the event they can be recovered while you're playing newer franchises.


    This is really saddening man. I hope that it is possible, because like everyone else in this thread voicing their frustrations, we have spent HOURS, DAYS, MONTHS, on these franchises and when a bug appears and takes that away from you that is really frustrating. And when you find out there's a chance you won't be able to get it back, it becomes even more frustrating. I really hope this goes the good way and not the bad way, but it's not looking great. I just want to be able to play my franchise again man.

  • jfeev508's avatar
    jfeev508
    Seasoned Hotshot
    3 years ago

    I first got on this forum months ago when this glitch happened to me.  I hadn't played Madden in years and gave this one a try.  That glitch happened and I turned the game off, uninstalled the game and sent it back (I learned never to buy Madden a long time ago so I just GameFly'd it).  I've been waiting for NCAA football to return for nearly a decade so I'll probably give that a try which might bring me back for Madden 24, but that's over a year from now so I'll cross that bridge then...

  • kansas82's avatar
    kansas82
    3 years ago

    Honestly, I am completely fine with the idea of starting a new file as long I can trust that my new file won't be corrupted by this issue anymore. 

    My inexpert opinion to the team as they are hot fixing this issue:

    • If possible make sure this patch meshes well with the final update you guys have planned.
    • A good way to test this in game (in my opinion)... Simulate forward to season 10 (2031), play a week 10 game to the end, from there simulate to the end of the season. In offseason check everything from coach hires to league history to make sure things look good. I usually lose my files around the 2029 season and beyond. Most my save crashes occurred in the post-season games or just before them. 
    • From there simulate forward to season 20 (2041). Repeat the process above.
    • From there simulate forward to the final season 30 (2051). repeat. If every thing looks good at the end of the franchise, pat each other on the back, and solute yourselves for solving the technical mystery that lives with in the assumed spaghetti code that is madden.
    • The good part about all of this suggestion is that simulating forward in madden 22 actually goes pretty quick. That is one nice thing about this years game. Now if only I could go past 30 seasons... 

    While the time lost to my past franchises sucks... I'll be happy to be able to play a new file and not ever have to worry about this issue again. I wish you guys the best of luck in solving this bug as fast (but effectively) as possible. Thanks for keeping us posted and not giving up on this issue. I appreciate it and hope you have a great night! 

  • JediRalts's avatar
    JediRalts
    3 years ago
    @EA_Blueberry Have to admit it's kind of a disappointment if that will be the case. I don't care if I have to go back a bit of time in my save a couple games or whatever, but losing something I spent weeks on just feels unacceptable, especially considering you've been able to patch existing save files to include things in the recent update, the very one that broke my save. At the very least do we have any kind of ETA on this hotfix so we know when we're save to even play offline franchises (hopefully) again?
  • AaronJ9710's avatar
    AaronJ9710
    Seasoned Novice
    3 years ago

    I would be very surprised if they (EA) can recover bad saves consistently enough to make it a feature in a fix. If the saved data is corrupted or missing elements -- a partial recovery could be equally dysfunctional.  TBD -- but I would move on because of the "part 2" in that who knows if EA will actually figure it out before '23 is due and kills off a '22 fix. This should have been a stop the presses and repair with haste scenario, but it hasn't been -- and most of us know that Offline Franchise Mode has been the bald-headed step child for a long time.

    I have been tinkering again. and I now use a 3-save approach.  After I play or sim a game, I immediately create a "GameOver" save, then advance to the next week and create a "Wxx" save (xx for the current week); then I exit and reload (hopefully). I then do my weekly stuff and save using my standard naming, alternating the save-name every other week (e.g., Pitt1, Pitt2, Pitt1, Pitt2).  I have always done the alternate naming, but I added the other saves to give me 3-4 chances to have a good save (auto or manual) over the course of a narrow window. I have caught one corrupted save; and oddly I have seen the the franchise fail to load on the 1st try but then load on a 2nd try.... (new since the Mar'22 update).  I save seasonal-stage based names too-- been doing that 4ever as habit. I have not seen corruption outside of the last reg-season weeks to playoffs window -- but grateful have a bank of saves just the same.

    I am not really holding my breath waiting on EA. I figured, I'd up my odds having a collection of saves in step-sequence, and then verify one of the saves as a bookmark,... and then proceed. Hardly ideal...tiptoeing thru the season to avoid landmines...  but if you need a Madden fix, it at least provides better odds to making it pass whatever triggers the corruption.

  • RyeOnPC's avatar
    RyeOnPC
    3 years ago

    I'm sure there are tons of cases to use as data. However, I am on PC and experiencing the same issue.

    Sometimes it happens when I'm in the edit player menu. If I am changing a Superstar's or an X-Factor's special ability, after selecting the ability, it will crash. Most of the time, though, it happens when I am picking up from a saved game. That is, if Madden happens to crash mid game, or I need to step away from the game, I am never able to load back into the game. Once I click Franchise, I get the Resume Game / Delete screen, but upon selecting Resume Game, the options disappear like it's trying to load the game, but the rest of the menu is still up, music is still playing, and I can tell there is still movement on the screen. No button I click will do anything, except for the trusty Alt + F4 that is.

    If this helps, I can provide additional details.

  • Jbill104's avatar
    Jbill104
    3 years ago

    So, it’s now November and just ran into this issue. How is this not fixed yet?