Simulated Input Delay for Offline Practice

First of all, I just want to say great job on NHL 26, it’s a really fun and well-made game. This is actually my first NHL game, and I’m really enjoying it so far (hopefully not my last haha!).

I think it would be a really valuable addition if NHL 26 allowed players to manually select an artificial input delay when playing offline against the CPU.

Right now, offline gameplay feels very different compared to online matches. In my case, I usually play with around 40–60 ms ping in multiplayer, which introduces a noticeable input delay. This completely changes the timing, reactions, and overall feel of the game.

Because of that, practicing offline doesn’t really translate well to online performance. Everything feels more responsive offline, so when you jump into multiplayer, it’s almost like playing a different game.

If we had the option to simulate input delay against the CPU, we could practice under conditions that are much closer to real online gameplay. This would help players adapt better, improve consistency, and make the transition between offline and online modes much smoother.

It wouldn’t need to be complicated, just a simple slider or preset values (e.g., 20 ms, 40 ms, 60 ms, etc.) would already make a big difference.

I think this kind of feature would be especially useful for competitive players who want to train properly, but also for anyone who regularly plays online and wants a more consistent experience across all modes.

Cheers!