Madden NFL 24 Franchise Mode Debacle: Game Crashing Menu Lagging
The latest installment of Madden NFL has been released, but longtime franchise mode players are experiencing major issues that are hampering the experience. Problems with crashing, lag, and lack of variety continue to plague the game mode that many adore.
Game Crashing Leaves Players Frustrated
A common issue being reported widely is that franchise mode games are crashing frequently. Whether playing online or offline, the franchise experience is being interrupted by games freezing and console crashes.
Many players are reporting crashes when trying to start or advance weeks in an offline franchise. The game will freeze when loading into the next week’s activities. This makes it extremely difficult to progress through a franchise season smoothly. Players are forced to restart their consoles and reload the franchise file multiple times just to advance from week to week.
The crashes are even more prevalent in online franchises. Games will crash as soon as the league launches, making online franchise essentially unplayable. Players cannot get past the League Home screen without the game freezing up. These crashes are consistent and make it impossible to enjoy online leagues with friends.
Without being able to reliably start games and advance weeks without crashes, the franchise experience is essentially ruined. This is a huge frustration for diehard franchise fans who look forward to managing teams against friends online each year.
How to Fix Madden 24 Crashing
If you are experiencing frequent crashing in your Madden 24 franchise, here are some steps you can try to resolve the issues:
1. Restart Your Console
Before launching the game, fully power down your console and restart it. This will clear any memory issues and ensure the game launches fresh.
2. Reinstall the Game
If crashes persist, try deleting and reinstalling the game. This will reset any corrupted data that could be causing crashes.
3. Delete Save Data
Corrupted franchise save files may be the culprit. Delete your local franchises and start fresh new ones. The crashes may be tied to specific save data.
4. Disable Auto-Save
Auto-saving can sometimes lead to data corruption over time. Disable auto-save and manually save your franchises at key points to isolate potential problem files.
5. Clear Alternate MAC Address
On Xbox consoles, clear your alternate MAC address to fully refresh your connection. This can resolve some crashing problems.
6. Adjust Graphics Settings
Lowering graphics, disabling ray tracing, reducing textures, or capping frame rates can help stabilize performance and prevent crashes.
7. Rebuild Database
On PS4/PS5, rebuild your database to clean up corrupted data. This may fix crashes if they are tied to bad data.
Persistently crashing franchises point to underlying issues. Trying these troubleshooting steps may help identify and isolate the problem so you can enjoy stable franchise play.
Unbearable Menu Lag Disrupts The Experience
In addition to game crashes, abysmally slow menu lag is also diminishing the franchise experience. Across all platforms, franchise menus are extremely sluggish and unresponsive. Actions like scrolling through league standings or managing your roster take much longer than they should due to menus lagging.
The lag extends to the actual games too, with pre-snap adjustments and play-calling taking longer because of menu delays. This makes selecting plays quickly in crucial situations nearly impossible. The slow menus are immersion breaking and turn a fun experience into a clunky one. Fans have been complaining about franchise menu lag for years, and it remains an ongoing issue.
Troubleshooting Laggy, Sluggish, Unresponsive Menus in Madden 24
If you are experiencing severe lag and unresponsive menus in Madden 24, here are some steps you can take to try and resolve the issues:
1. Restart the Game
Fully close the game application and reload it. This will clear any memory leaks causing menu slowdowns.
2. Check for Updates
Make sure the game is updated to the latest patch version. Updates may contain menu performance fixes.
3. Disable Network Connectivity
Lag can sometimes be caused by background connectivity. Disable any network features in-game to isolate the cause.
4. Clear Cache
Clear your console cache and reboot to wipe any accumulated data that could be slowing things down.
5. Adjust Graphics Settings
Lower graphics quality to reduce overhead. High textures and shadows can impact menu frame rates.
6. Disable Ray Tracing
Ray tracing is taxing; disable it in the settings to free up resources and boost menu speeds.
7. Try Another Controller
If using a wireless controller, connect a wired controller and test menus. Interference can sometimes impact response.
8. Rebuild Database
On PS4/PS5 consoles, rebuild database to clean corrupted data that may be causing hitches.
9. Contact EA Support
If no fixes resolve it, contact EA Help. Provide details for your platform and when lag occurs to help diagnose root cause.
Isolating the specific trigger for menu slowdowns is key to resolving it. Methodically testing these troubleshooting tips can hopefully get your franchise menus back up to speed.
Lack of Variety Remains An Immersion Breaker
Besides technical issues, the lack of variety in franchise continues to plague the game year after year. Fans are reporting identical draft class prospects in terms of appearance, heights, and weights. Regenerated draft classes end up being full of clones rather than feeling like unique new rookies.
Having the same cookie-cutter players appear in drafts year after year takes away from the sense of progression and roster turnover that should occur. While gameplay may improve incrementally each year, the franchise experience feels stale without more variety being added.
A Cautionary Tale For Loyal Fans
One Reddit user relayed their experience pre-ordering and purchasing every Madden annually since 2004. Despite knowing deep down the franchise problems never get adequately resolved, their fandom and desire for a new game leads them to buy it anyway.
Year after year, they are let down by crashes, lack of features, and sluggish performance. But the allure of a new roster and incremental updates keeps them trapped in a cycle of disappointment. Their plight serves as a cautionary tale to fellow football fans who keep hoping for the best each release.