Most games we play get gameplay updates every few months
Blog 1 / Patch 1.0.x | October 3, 2024
Patch 1.1.x | October 15, 2024
Patch 1.2.0 | November 4, 2024
Patch 1.3.0 | December 5, 2024
Emergency Patch | December 16, 2024
Patch 1.5.0 | February 24, 2025
Patch 1.6.0 | March 25, 2025
They offer a minor tweak and charge us an arm and a leg for it.
You're not being forced to buy the game. Do your research. If the presented updates and features don't jive with what you think should be done for a full title price, then don't buy it.
EA does not listen to it's audience or they are lazy and take the easy way out knowing loyals fans will buy NHL even if they are dissapointed
Literally every single piece of feedback is seen and acknowledged by the CM. In fact, many of the changes proposed for '26 were based directly on feedback.
Again - paying full price for a game that you feel will 'disappoint' you before even playing is just terrible fiscal responsibility. Nobody is forcing you to buy NHL 26 if it doesn't meet your expectations. In fact, Microsoft and Sony both have refund processes that you can work through (within a reasonable time from purchase) to get your money back if you're not satisfied.
If it's a new game, let it be a new game and not just an update.
Sports games can’t be rebuilt from scratch every year because their engines are massive, multi year projects that power physics, AI, animations, and networking. Instead, developers evolve the same core engine, replacing and upgrading systems in phases so they don’t break everything else. What look like “small” changes like tweaking goalie behavior or passing physics, these often require deep rewrites across multiple systems. Annual releases aren’t just about rosters either. They fund these costly overhauls and maintain licensing deals. Over time, these incremental updates add up to big changes, even if each year’s leap feels modest.
If you're feeling like you're not getting the bang for your buck every year - then take a year off or wait until Gamepass release in the spring.
