EA NHL 26 Review – On Thin Ice?

In this EA Sports NHL 26 Review, we take a look at EA Vancouver’s latest installment of their annual sports video game series. This year, NHL 26 brings new improvements to gameplay, as well as modes like Be A Pro, Ultimate Team (HUT), and more. But do all these improvements mean the game is worth your time and money? Let’s find out.

EA Sports NHL 26 Review – What is NHL 26?

EA Sports NHL 26 is an ice hockey simulation video game that features official NHL and PWHL teams, players, logos, stadiums, and more. Like other EA Sports titles such as F1 or FC, it’s an annual release title, meaning there’s a new installment every year.

Back-to-back Stanley Cup Champion Matthew Tkachuk is the game’s standard edition cover athlete. He he joined by his brother, Brady, and father, Keith, on the game’s Deluxe Edition Cover.

You can purchase EA NHL 26 on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5.

Gameplay – NHL 26 Review

Before playing NHL 26, my biggest concern was about Frostbite Engine. The engine primarily used for Battlefield has since been used for many EA Sports games over the last decade. And for the most part, I believe it’s negatively impacted the gameplay of various sports games.

The main issue with Frostbite in other Sports games (Madden, FC), is that player movement feels absurdly slow. Spinning in Madden takes years, while moving in FC is impossible unless you play with an overpowered club. But EA Vancouver has seemingly found a good way of implementing the engine without compromising gameplay.

However, I’m glad to say that my gameplay experience with NHL 26 was pleasantly surprising.

For the most part, the gameplay feels similar to previous titles. So if you’re a returning player, you’ll pretty much feel right at home. But EA Sports NHL 26 is also pretty accessible, even for non-hockey players. You don’t need to know what a Deke or a Hip Check is to have fun. But NHL 26 does feature various improvements to the gameplay in an effort to create a more fun and authentic experience.

The biggest changes to gameplay are definitely the redesigned X-Factor system and new Goalie Crease system.

NHL 26 features 28 X-Factors at launch, all with three tiers that indicate how effective they can be. Overall, it’s a good amount of X-Factors  but not too much where they start to overlap each other. And the three tiers all feel vastly different.

For example, a player with a Ankle Breaker X-Factor (Elite Tier) will perform much better at creating separation than someone with the same X-Factor but in the Specialist Tier. Players with an Elite Big Rig X-Factor get a 55% boost to their strength.

The varying levels in X-Factors and solid variety of them makes many players feel unique. Playing with Nathan MacKinnon feels different than playing with someone like Sidney Crosby.

This not only elevates gameplay, but it also indirectly improves team building in modes like Franchise or HUT. Fantasy Drafts in Franchise feel more engaging thanks to X-Factors, as I try to think about which abilities I want my players to have.

Then there’s the Goalie Crease System. Essentially, it gives the AI more animations to help them make saves in a match. Overall, I felt the system worked pretty well, as AI goalies seemed a bit more capable this year when it came to making saves.

As someone who’s terrible at playing goalie, I can’t really tell hardcore Goalie players if the system is really that much of an improvement. I feel like there is, but I’m just not getting it. But as someone who prefers to play other positions, I actually wasn’t affected by this too much.

I’m sure hardcore NHL 26 players will find ways to break the system, as they always do. And while I think EA Vancouver knows they need to improve the system, it also shows how passionate players are about the series. Overall, I think the new Goalie Crease system improved my AI’s play, which I’ll never complain about.

One area I personally wasn’t too crazy for was the player Tendencies. I appreciate the developers trying to make the virtual pros play like their real-life counterpart. However, the result is predictable play from the AI, which can get a bit mundane and feel unrealistic.

I get that certain players like to play certain ways in certain situations. Therefore, it’s perfectly normal that someone like Alex Ovechkin likes to position himself on the left side during power plays. But the problem is he’ll do it almost all the time.

This means that when I play against specific Superstars, I’ll have a good idea of what they’re going to do in specific situations. In real life, players would actually adapt and adjust instead of just trying the same moves over and over.

I think the developers had a good system in mind, but unfortunately, it just didn’t feel properly executed.

NHL 26’s Gameplay features are definitely improvements, for the most part. While I could do without the Tendencies, I really like the redesigned X-Factors and Goalie Crease System.

Be A Pro

Be A Pro received some significant changes in NHL 26. Overall, the developers removed a lot of the “fluff” from previous games. Instead of Pricey Pond Hockey, you’ll play in the World Juniors as you put your skills on tape.

Pricey Pond was just one of the many things EA Vancouver scrapped this year in favor of more conversations with the Media. You’ll still communicate with your Agent, Coach, and teammates during your career. But the amount of conversations have been reduced to just the ones that matter.

Perhaps the most important new conversations are the one you’ll have with the media. Whenever you speak to the media, your words will always make an impact on your career.

Some conversations which impacts to attributes you’ll receive. Others will task you with an objective for your next game. Regardless, they add more depth to the mode, giving you something to work for each match.

Personally, I have a love/hate relationship with this system. I love the idea of involving the media more in your career. Furthermore, it’s nice to see our Be A Pro  receive praise when he plays well, or criticism when he plays poorly. It all adds to the authenticity of the product.

But sometimes I feel like the challenges hinder the system. Instead of something like a Teammate Grade, you usually need to reach certain milestones in a match if you want to keep your word with the press. So even if you play really well, or if your team played well together – if you didn’t get a certain amount of something (goals, assists, etc.), you’ll still get scolded.

I also think some of the meetings between characters could have been spaced out better. In one instance, I met with my Agent, coach, and then a reporter all at once. It makes sense during the beginning of your career, but every week, it becomes another obstacle between you and your next game.

But my biggest problem with Be A Pro is the Challenges required to unlock X-Factors. I love the new X-Factor system, but I think some of the requirements to unlock abilities are downright absurd.

I can see how it would take years to get an Elite Tier X-Factor. Furthermore, I like the idea of earning your X-Factor via a challenge. But the developers really need to update how players unlock these abilities.

Some X-Factors may just require you to win a Stanley Cup. Others may require you to play a certain number of years, or something else entirely that may take forever.

I think the developers could’ve made this system simpler, as well as how XP gains work. Instead of managing your weekly training schedule, I would prefer just spending XP on attributes. I know it’s nothing groundbreaking, but it worked well for years.

That said, I don’t just have negative feelings about the new features. I like the World Juniors experience, and I like the new presentational improvements (which we’ll get to later). Furthermore, you can actually get sent down to the minors if you play badly.

The chapter-structure also gives you small-time goals which help the season progress quickly. Since there are a lot of games in an NHL season, these challenges help break it off into smaller chunks and make it feel fun.

To end it off, I think Be A Pro was okay. Unlike the gameplay improvements, not everything the developers added here worked. But I do appreciate the effort to pull more focus into the game. Instead of bowling and playing pricey pond, there’s more focus on your actual player. But it could’ve been executed better.

Hockey Ultimate Team (HUT) – NHL 26 Review

It seems like HUT definitely received the most love this year, but If I can be honest, I’ve never been crazy for the mode. And if I could be even more frank, I’m still not interested this year. Sure, there’s a new Cup Chase mode, new seasonal programs, and even a new salary cap system. But I simply was just not feeling it.

The idea of building a fantasy team consisting of old and new players sounds fun on paper. But I never really liked the Ultimate Team system seen in all sports games (not just NHL). I’m not crazy for the idea of grinding for cards to use online against try-hards who’ve already spent their life savings for the best lineup.

And that’s another thing, the microtransactions. Did you know that 20,000 NHL Points can cost a player $150? You could essentially buy two full video games for that price. I know it’s not just NHL that does this, but that’s no excuse.

But it’s a lost cause. Trying to get EA Sports to get rid of UT Microtransactions is like asking a Superstar in their prime to take a paycut (it’s just not happening). So, until the consumer makes their voice heard via their wallets, the mode will continue to exist and function like it has over the years.

Overall, HUT is HUT. If you love the mode, you’ll probably like this year’s improvements. If you’re not a fan, there’s several other modes you can try out.

Franchise – NHL 26 Review

Franchise didn’t really receive any love this year. The Utah Mammoth are finally in the game, and not just “Utah Hockey Club” if that’s any consolation. I suppose that’s no surprise, considering they focused on that mode last year.

But as I mentioned earlier, the improved X-Factor System makes team management feel more fun. Building a team and drafting players while trading for others feels more exciting as I attempt to build a squad of diverse players.

So overall, Franchise did receive an improvement, albeit, an indirect one. Out of all modes offered in the game, I enjoyed this one the most.

Graphics & Presentation

If there’s one thing that Frostbite does well, it’s that every game that runs on it looks great. That includes NHL 26. Player models, uniforms, rinks, and crowds all look good. The Stadium lighting and player movement all add to the immersion.

Be A Pro has nice presentational improvements across various areas. From Draft Night to the Stanley Cup celebration, the new scenes are pretty entertaining to watch. Furthermore, the new camera angles and analysis from ICE-Q 2.0 helps elevate the game presentation.

Menus still seem to have that lagginess from previous titles, which isn’t game-breaking, but can get annoying. In trying to go from one menu to another, the screen might freak out, which might cause you to press something by accident, which in turn, causes more freaking out from the screen.

But overall, NHL 26 looks and runs well for the most part. It wouldn’t have impacted my review score either way, but it never hurts to have good visuals.

Audio

NHL 26 not only looks good, but sounds good, too. From player movement on the ice, to the passing and shooting of the puck, everything sounds right. I also love the sounds that come out of my controller whenever I score a goal.

Furthermore, the game’s soundtrack is also good. It fits with the culture of the sport, and sounds nice in the background when managing my Franchise. Overall, no gripes here as I had no problems whatsoever.

Verdict: Is EA NHL 26 Worth Your Time & Money?

EA Sports NHL 26 doesn’t re-invent the wheel, but it is a fun game full of various modes that gives Hockey Fans several hours worth of fun.

The redesigned X-Factors make NHL 26 gameplay feel fun and fresh. There’s only 28, but I prefer the quality of them, as well as the differentiations between each tier. It makes modes like Franchise a lot more fun, especially in the team-building aspect.

I really only had two problems with this game. Firstly, I think the improvements to Be A Pro feel a bit shallow. I do like how the developers removed a lot of pointless conversations, but I feel like there was room to do a bit more.

Furthermore, I’m still really not pulled into the whole “Ultimate Team” mode that every sports game uses. NHL 26 is no exception, as I really wasn’t wowed by the new Hut Seasons or HUT Cup Chase. But if you really like Ultimate Team, I’m sure you’ll like all the work the developers put into it this year.

But those problems are mostly overshadowed with a fun gameplay experience, as well as an addicting Franchise and GM mode. There’s a lot of customizable settings that give me more control over my experience.

I also enjoy how much better AI goalies are this year. By having more trust in the AI, I can more confidently make moves that may have been deemed risky before.

If you’re someone who likes Be A Pro or HUT, then NHL 26 seems like a solid addition to your sports game library. If you’re a Franchise Fanatic, then you might not feel as encouraged. But in terms of gameplay and overall fun, NHL 26 delivers.

Score: 8/10

Editor’s Note: ClutchPoints received a PS5 review copy to allow us to cover this game. These copies did not, in any way, affect this NHL 26 Review’s final score and verdict.

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