Frequently asked
The questions that come up most.
Below are the questions we get from prospective players, league commissioners, and press. If yours isn't here, write to [email protected].
Is Hashmark affiliated with EA or the NFL?
No. Hashmark is an independent companion built by VaultSpark Studios LLC. We do not modify Madden, we do not touch save files, and we do not ship real NFL data outside what your own franchise export contains. Madden NFL is a trademark of Electronic Arts. NFL marks are trademarks of the National Football League.
How does Hashmark get my franchise data?
You upload the Madden NFL Companion App export. The Companion App is the same one EA ships for in-game roster management; its export is the standard channel for any companion tool. Hashmark intercepts the export, normalizes it, and writes it to our database.
Why do you say the game throws away postseason data?
The Companion App export contains a player’s current-season postseason line for exactly one season — the one currently in progress. When the league rolls forward, that line is overwritten by zeroes. Career-stat surfaces in the game never include postseason production. Hashmark catches the postseason on the way out and preserves it forever in the Playoff Vault.
What’s HashmarkIQ?
A single proprietary player rating, on a 0–100 scale, position-normalized, derived from the full longitudinal record Hashmark holds — regular and postseason production, draft context, age curve, scouting trajectory, and breakout history. The methodology is public. The components are visible in the product when you hover the rating.
Do I have to play online to use Hashmark?
No. A solo franchise on a console or PC works fine. You upload the Companion export when you want a recap or a refresh. Multi-user leagues add Discord integration and commissioner tools but are not required.
Will Hashmark support Madden 25 or older versions?
Primary target is Madden 26. We will assess back-compat once the v26 surface is stable. The Companion App export format has been relatively consistent year to year, so support for one prior version is likely — we will commit when the work is done, not before.
Will there be an iOS or Android app?
Not as a first-party priority. The Companion App already exists. Hashmark complements it on the web. A Progressive Web App that installs to home screen is supported.
Will there be a PC companion?
Yes, in Phase 6 (Weeks 19–21 of the build). An Electron shell that watches the Madden install on Windows, picks up exports automatically, and posts them to Hashmark without a manual upload.
How are the editorial recaps written?
Generated by Anthropic Claude (Haiku 4.5, Sonnet 4.6, and Opus 4.7 depending on the surface), against prompt templates we own and version. Every generated recap is reviewed against our soul checklist by an automated pass before it surfaces in the product.
Is generated content always labeled?
Yes. Editorial recaps and synthesized college careers are flagged as generated in the product. Hover any synthesized stat and the tooltip discloses the inputs and the model version. We do not break the fourth wall in the prose itself — the disclosure is in the chrome.
Where is my data stored?
Self-hosted Postgres 16 on a Hetzner server in the United States. Daily backups to encrypted off-host object storage. No third-party data warehouse. Full architecture is described on the Security page.
Can I export my data?
At any time, in full, in JSON, from your account page. If Hashmark ever shuts down, you take your archive with you in a documented format.
Why no emoji in the product?
Hashmark is built in the register of The Athletic and NFL Films — restrained, specific, patient. Emoji and exclamation marks pull the voice toward broadcast hype, which is the register we explicitly refuse. The full position is in the manifesto.
How do I report a bug or security issue?
Bugs: file at [email protected] or in the Discord. Security: [email protected], with a 48-hour acknowledgment SLA and responsible disclosure expected.