Make NHL games great again (NHL 27 wishlist)
Although nhl 25 and 26 are good games, they arent necessarily at great level yet. these are some additions i would add to lean towards greatness again Gameplay: -Bring back + add presentation(...
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This is also Categorically untrue. If you want to determine "some" issues are player skill issues, then as a consumer I can use that context towards EA and development.
Example: NHL 25 had an issue where the CPU/AI in offline play (maybe online HUT) would not take penalties (when they did it was only 1 to 2 specific penalties). This issue was mainly resolved in a later patch for NHL 25 - however is an issue for NHL 26 on launch and still pending (being investigated).
Determining the "skill issue": This fall under the factor that due to their cycle of game creation they start with an release date coding for NHL 25 to try and mix and match codes + add new coding to make their next game. This issue here is that seemingly there is no communication between the team working on the new game and the team maintaining the current game - thus leading to previously resolved or "fixed" glitches or issues being present in their new game due to them not implementing their own fixes in the development process of the new game.
The affect: This now takes the team who maintains the current game away from fixing the new issues present in the game or ones they stated was fixed but was false (LT spam usage) and makes them fix an issue that was previously fixed. It also adds to the frustration on the player base that is compounded by new issues that new and continue to be an issue.
I full think and believe they want to put out the best game possible, however this does feel very counter productive.
NHL 25 had an issue where the CPU/AI in offline play (maybe online HUT) would not take penalties (when they did it was only 1 to 2 specific penalties). This issue was mainly resolved in a later patch for NHL 25 - however is an issue for NHL 26 on launch and still pending (being investigated).
The issue isn't that the CPU wouldn't take penalties then. The issue was that they weren't taking all penalties available in the game. Two separate 'issues' geared towards immersion and not gameplay.
Not saying it shouldn't be fixed, but I can understand how it's the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to 'issues' that need to be fixed.
Determining the "skill issue": This fall under the factor that due to their cycle of game creation they start with an release date coding for NHL 25 to try and mix and match codes + add new coding to make their next game. This issue here is that seemingly there is no communication between the team working on the new game and the team maintaining the current game - thus leading to previously resolved or "fixed" glitches or issues being present in their new game due to them not implementing their own fixes in the development process of the new game.
The issue isn’t that EA has two disconnected teams “forgetting” to copy fixes into the next NHL game. NHL is built on a single, evolving codebase where new systems, tuning changes, and engine updates can unintentionally break old fixes. When the foundation shifts each year, some regressions naturally reappear—not because of poor communication, but because, as you've alluded to, annual sports development is a constant cycle of adding, removing, and rewriting interconnected systems under tight timelines.
This now takes the team who maintains the current game away from fixing the new issues present in the game or ones they stated was fixed but was false (LT spam usage) and makes them fix an issue that was previously fixed. It also adds to the frustration on the player base that is compounded by new issues that new and continue to be an issue.
That assumes the live team is a separate unit that could simply “stay focused” on new issues if only old bugs didn’t resurface. But in reality, the same core systems underlie both the live game and the next year’s build, and the people maintaining those systems are already working across both branches. When a regression appears, it isn’t “taking time away” from fixing new issues—it’s part of the same continuous process of stabilizing a shared codebase.
And while it’s understandable that players feel frustrated, regressions aren’t proof of mismanagement, they’re a normal byproduct of iteration, especially when gameplay systems are redesigned every cycle. If you overhaul skating, defensive logic, animation timings, online desync rules, or collision thresholds, some previously fixed issues will resurface. The player base interprets this as “they said it was fixed but it wasn’t,” but often the fix was valid for last year’s mechanics and no longer applies after the new changes.
So no, I don't think this reflects a failure in priorities or communication. It reflects the inherent complexity of annual sports development, where stabilizing evolving systems naturally requires revisiting both old and new issues across the lifecycle of the game.
So whatever you may say, I and many more find this a poor version of the series and a step backwards from the fully patched nhl25. All that matters what I think and do I get value for the £62 I spent this year because this influences if I spend my my £68 next year.
and many more find this a poor version of the series and a step backwards from the fully patched nhl25
You’re absolutely entitled to your opinion. Just remember that social media engagement isn’t the same as general consensus. People often assume a hot-take with upvotes/likes/etc reflects widespread agreement, but high engagement doesn’t automatically mean people support the message.
The term "echo-chamber" is tossed about far too easily, to the point where it's become nothing more than a buzz-term or cliche to try and stem valid criticisms.
Whether you see “echo-chamber” as a buzzword or not, they’re very real. Just look at the replies to any EA Sports NHL tweet—an endless loop of people piling on. Reddit’s the same: anything remotely positive gets buried under a mountain of snark, downvotes, and performative dunks. The irony, of course, is that many of these folks claim to hate the game, yet spend an absurd amount of time living in the online spaces built around it. Perplexing, but I digress.
It's bold to assume to majority of people who aren't speaking up are only staying silent because they are happy.
I don't think I assumed that anywhere in my posts. I've always maintained there are real issues plaguing this game and many people rightfully point these out all the time; matchmaking, stick lift, poke check, etc.
I will agree that less skilled players tend to be negative constantly...but to assume that everyone lodging their complaints is bad is just...myopic.
Again, I did not say that everyone who complains about this game is less skilled.
.I've never seen a release get this much vitriol.
I think it's simply become trendy to dump on EA—especially in smaller communities like NHL. It’s similar to how legacy media outlets like CNN or MSNBC will claim “massive outrage” and then point to a handful of angry tweets as evidence.
Real outrage means people in the streets, not a few loud posts on social media.
Bringing it back to the game: if the supposed “vitriol” were truly widespread, online play would be dead. EASHL would be empty. HUT would be a wasteland. Instead, both modes are active and thriving. They have their flaws, sure—but if people log in every single day, then clearly something is working well enough to keep them engaged.
Your criticisms are valid; I’m not dismissing them. I just disagree with the idea that this year’s game was universally hated. The gameplay changes required a big shift in old habits, and some of the loudest voices simply refused to adapt.
Online play has been deteriating for the past couple of years. At one time, response to attaining a game was within a minute. Now. Its anyones guess how long it will take if you even get a game. They have brought on board concepts of the game, that are not wholly acceptable to the people playing the game. The lack of attention to glitches and poor script, also merits into the dissatisfaction. Their overall sales in all games is down, probably the reason they decided to sell the farm, while the farm still had value. Its not the developers, designers, coders, that you have to sell the game too. Its the everyday gamer, who through the years has become more adept at decerning what they want the game to be. And not listening to those that enable your profitability results in one thing. Failure.
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