The new entry in the NHL franchise is here, and I have to be honest, I didn't have big expectations for NHL 26. It's not because the trailer, deep dives, and other announcements about the game weren't good; they probably were the best in recent memory.
But sports games haven't been exactly thrilling this year. In the last couple of years, most games from the genre have only received minimal updates, with College Football 25 being the only one that stands out. But CFB 25 was the revival of a historic franchise, a game that was developed from scratch and that took years to do so, which is not the case for most sports games, NHL included.
So, I was expecting more of the same, a few tweaks here and there, the polishing of a few features, bug fixes, and additions that would be okay but not revolutionary. Well, I'm happy to say I was pleasantly surprised by NHL 26, as the game introduces significant changes.
Does NHL 26 completely revolutionize the franchise? No. Is it the best NHL game of the last couple of years, and sets the foundations for a true shake-up of the franchise? Yes, and in a very convincing way.
So, let's dive into what makes NHL 26 good and why it's a big step for the franchise, while also looking at what is missing from the new installment in this historic franchise.
Gameplay that is Capable of encapsulating the Essence of Ice Hockey
The NHL 26 gameplay feels great, the best it has been in many years, and yet it's hard to exactly pinpoint why. ICE-Q 2.0 is a big reason for that, and while it's hard to single out an instance where you can see it, you feel like the use of data to make players and the gameplay more authentic is working.
Players' animations are more realistic, from the way they pass the puck, skate, shoot, to how they move on the ice. Everything feels authentic. The feeling I had in previous years that the same animations were happening over and over again is gone, which might seem small, but it does a lot for the gameplay and prevents it from getting repetitive and boring.
In real life, every player who picks up a stick plays uniquely, and that's what makes Ice Hockey so special. NHL 26 does a great job at bringing that player authenticity to the virtual ice in a way no other title in the franchise has managed to do so.
Improvements to the goalie feature also contribute to making the gameplay better, and make playing as a goalie much more fun. The plethora of new animations and the ability to perform animation cancel when necessary are the two big reasons playing as a goalie feels so better.
The AI was also significantly improved when it comes to goalies, maybe even too much, as there are plenty of situations where the AI does the job for you, which isn't what you want. With the AI having such a huge impact on the goalie, such as positioning and even automatic saves, it takes away skill expression and makes the skill gap pretty much non-existent.
While making goalie more accessible for new players is understandable, EA needs to find a balance where it isn't overwhelming to play as a goalie, but where things aren't too easy to do as well. Having better AI makes sense, but to the point where it pretty much saves shots for you, not so much.
It looks Amazing
Presentation is very important in sports games, especially in a world where it's practically impossible to make a massive graphical improvement. Graphics have looked the same in sports games for five years now, and the addition of small details can't be considered a graphical revolution.
However, adding new elements to the presentation of a game makes it much more visually pleasing, immersive, and also authentic. This has been a big priority for EA Sports games this year, and it's good to see the NHL follow that path. The broadcast visuals look much better this year and add a new layer of realism and immersion.
But where you can see the huge presentation improvements is in the Be A Pro mode. Voice-acted cinematics were added, tunnel walkouts, announcers now highlight your big moments from previous games, replays add more context to plays, and new trophy celebrations come together to make the presentation the best it has ever been.
Granted, there are still improvements that can be made to the game's presentation, such as a pre-game show, half-time show, and small intermissions between periods, just like you see in most sports games of today. Despite that, it's still a significant improvement to the game presentation when compared to previous editions.
The Be A Pro Overhaul The Community Begged For
This was on the Christmas wishlist of every EA NHL fan for years, and it seems Santa has finally decided to give us the present we so desperately craved for. Be A Pro finally feels authentic, after years of generic updates and feeling like a hollow mode, the changes implemented in NHL 26 gave the mode a much desperately needed soul.
You now feel like a real NHL star, ot better put, an NHL prospect that needs to fight for their place in the league in the hopes of turning into a staple name. Starting your Be A Pro career in the World Juniors tournament is a fantastic addition, which could be made even better if players had the chance to play all the games in the tournament, and not only two.
The fact that your performances in the World Juniors tournament games affect your draft stock is great. But as mentioned above, having the performance of a full tournament and not only two games dictate your draft position would be more realistic.
Being drafted isn't the end-all be-all of Be A Pro in NHL 26, as you need to fight for your place in the league. You had a couple of bad games? Good luck in the AHL, buddy! This adds real stakes to the mode and consequences for poor performances, just like in real life.
If you are demoted to the AHL, it doesn't mean your career is over. You simply need to showcase your talents and prove that you are too good to be there, and you will eventually be called up. Once back on the NHL roster, the task is pretty simple: prove that you belong.
But it's not only on the ice that there have been massive improvements. Post-game interviews, media scrums, and talks with coaches or other teammates now actually matter. The interviews are voice-acted now, making them more immersive, and you have many answer options to choose from, which will impact either your locker room relationships, social media presence, or even attributes.
Making the Be A Pro mode chapter structured was also a great idea. Every chapter is story-driven, with different challenges and goals that do a good job of demonstrating the highs and lows professional hockey players go through in real life. If you want to skip to the next chapter, you can.
Being able to pick and choose what storylines you want to experience is great for players who don't necessarily want to spend hundreds of hours on a Be A Pro save. They say it's impossible to please Greeks and Trojans, but NHL 26 came close to it.
In summary, Be A Pro is a completely different mode, with the additions taking the authenticity and immersion to a new level, with the mode doing a tremendous job of portraying the life of a professional NHL player.
Good Additions, But The Same Core Problem
Let's just take it out of the way, HUT continues to be a pay-to-win mode and has too many microtransactions. I have been very vocal about my dislike for microtransactions in sports games, but nothing against the Fortnite skins, though. So, I'm not going to rant about how microtransactions are evil and negatively impact sports games; most of you already know that.
HUT did a good job at adding modes for casual/single-player aficionados. There are now more options for players who still want to build their HUT team but prefer to play against the CPU. A considerable number of players don't like the pressure of competitive modes, such as ranked, so providing them with ways to still be able to enjoy the mode is a great move.
The addition of player combinations is a mixed bag, in my opinion. While it adds a new way for players to build their HUT lineup, it can also hurt the freedom of choice for players, incentivizing them to always look for the combinations that provide the best boosts, instead of using players they truly like and build their dream team.
The core problem of microtransactions continues to exist, but the additions made to the mode in NHL 26 are positive.
