NHL 26 Gameplay Feedback — Core Systems Are Broken
I am posting this after significant playtime, primarily in EASHL. This is not frustration from a single game. These are consistent, repeatable gameplay issues that fundamentally impact how NHL 26 plays.
At its core, NHL 26 does not reward correct hockey decisions. It often feels like the game actively works against proper positioning, structure, and defensive play.
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Gameplay Issues
Puck Movement & Passing
- Rimming the puck behind your own net is unreliable and often results in turnovers
- Passes frequently go through defenders who are clearly in the passing lane
- Button passing misses targets by unrealistic margins
- Passing feels slow and unresponsive
- Cross-crease passes through the blue paint are ignored by the goalie when the puck could easily be played
Poke Checks & Stick Defense
- Poke checks are underpowered
- Successful poke check deflections often act as passes to opponents
- Inaccurate poke checks within radius, missing by 90–180 degrees
- Defenders have no consistent way to counter dekes
- Poke check timing windows feel inconsistent
Defense & Physical Play
- Playing defense feels ineffective regardless of positioning
- Defensemen feel significantly slower than attackers
- Get-ups take too long, especially in 3v3
- Hits morph around opponents, resulting in missed checks
- Hitting is overpowered when the hitter has little or no momentum
- Knocking a player down still allows them to recover the puck before the defender
AI Behavior
- AI defenders are consistently beaten wide
- AI player quality is noticeably imbalanced between teams
- Defensive AI frequently abandons structure
- Offensive AI lacks awareness and spacing
Goaltending
- Goalies allow short-side goals with no far-side threat
- Weak point shots with minimal traffic sometimes get no reaction
- Rebound control is inconsistent
- Goalie passes travel through opponents to teammates
- Goalie passing accuracy is unreliable
Faceoffs & Special Teams
- Clean faceoff wins miss the intended defenseman
- Opponents reach the puck before the winning team on clean draws
- Power plays do not feel like power plays
- Defensive teams are not rewarded for staying in structure, blocking shots, or clearing the puck
X-Factors & Balance
- Overpowered X-Factors with little counterplay
- Puck control is overpowered
- Speed is overpowered
- Pay-to-win imbalance with X-Factors in EASHL
Energy System
- Energy drains too quickly
- Energy does not reset properly after puck freezes
- A single rush up the ice can fully drain stamina
Game Flow & Fairness
- Even games turn into blowouts while mismatches remain close
- Games often feel “scheduled,” as if momentum or nerfs are applied
- Outshooting teams heavily and still losing feels disconnected from hockey reality
- Matchmaking feels inconsistent
Controls, Replays & Miscellaneous
- Excessive penalties due to overlapping checking inputs (X/B and right stick)
- Constant unskippable replays disrupt gameplay flow
- Players fail to pick up pucks clearly within their radius
- Players lack awareness of the blue line
- LT puck-protect can be abused to endlessly maneuver in the offensive zone
- Injuries in EASHL should not exist
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Summary
NHL 26 currently fails to reward:
- Defensive positioning
- Structure
- Smart decision-making
- Team play
Instead, it rewards speed, puck-protect exploits, and animation outcomes.
Defensemen in particular are heavily punished regardless of skill level or correct play.
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What Needs to Change
- Acknowledgement of these systemic gameplay issues
- Clear communication on what is being addressed
- A focus on fixing core hockey mechanics rather than surface-level tuning
Right now, NHL 26 feels less like a competitive hockey game and more like fighting the engine itself.
