AI Scaling Is Broken in Pro and Above HUT Moments
After extensive time in HUT Moments on Pro and above, there is a clear and repeatable AI scaling issue. This is not isolated to ALL-STAR. It happens consistently on Pro and higher. Across difficult moments (Slafkovsky 2 Goals in 150 Seconds, final TOTW Beckett Sennecke, and others), the pattern is predictable: You score the required goal(s)- The CPU difficulty spikes abruptly Your team responsiveness drops despite having energy When that shift happens: CPU puck control and pressure increase unrealistically High-rated players react slowly or ignore loose pucks Passing logic breaks down CPU penalties go uncalled 79–82 OVR CPU players perform like elite cards In the final 20 seconds of close games, it becomes even more obvious: CPU suddenly wins every puck battle They cycle endlessly to waste time or fire rapid shots Goalies who were allowing rebounds suddenly absorb everything This does not feel like organic momentum or intelligent AI. It feels like an artificial override. Fix the tuning.Make difficulty tough but fair. Right now, Pro and above moments often feel artificially inflated instead of competitively balanced.
No Exact Match in WOC... LOL
But dont worry this game is monetized out the wazoo. Its such a sad state of affairs for this game. Why are functions that were in the game in prior years not around? Lets see what claude says! Here's a solid overview of how EA NHL sales have trended over the last decade or so: The Peak Era (2010–2013) The franchise hit its commercial zenith in the early 2010s. NHL 12 set a franchise sales record, selling 451,000 copies in its first week and topping $27 million in worldwide retail receipts — a 19% increase year-over-year. GameSpot NHL 13 in 2012 also broke opening week records by selling nearly 500,000 copies at launch. The Hockey Writers The Decline (2014–2016) Sales fell sharply when the new console generation (PS4/Xbox One) arrived. NHL 15 launched without many beloved features and was widely criticized. Fan sentiment soured significantly, and the franchise struggled to recover its earlier momentum. A Modest Stabilization (2017–2022) The series maintained a loyal but smaller fanbase. As of 2019, the franchise had sold more than 12 million lifetime units Fandom — modest compared to EA's other sports titles. NHL is likely the lowest-selling product under the EA Sports umbrella, with FIFA/EA Sports FC and Madden taking much larger chunks of sales and thus development budgets. New Game Network Recent Years (2023–2025) NHL 25 debuted at #9 in US dollar sales in September 2024, Game World Observer which reflects a respectable but niche position. However, the community is increasingly frustrated. After two consecutive years of underwhelming innovation, critics have argued that the annual release model needs to be reconsidered, as there is rarely enough new content to justify a full-price purchase each year. Insidehockey NHL 25 has been described by many fans as the most minimal-effort release since NHL 15. EA Forums The Big Picture Yes, sales are broadly down from the franchise's peak. The core issues are: No competition — 2K stopped making NHL games after losing money, leaving EA as the sole option, which reduces urgency to innovate Fan frustration — recurring complaints about stale gameplay, bugs, and a heavy focus on monetization through Hockey Ultimate Team (HUT) packs have eroded goodwill The franchise is still profitable enough for EA to keep releasing annually, but it's a far cry from the heights of NHL 12 and 13.World of Chel Club customization doesn’t work at all
Any time me or anyone in my club attempts to change or alter our jerseys/arena we receive a connection error that exits you to the Home Screen. This has been going on for over a month now and all the progress with collections is now essentially useless since we can’t change anything. Error code is dfefb006ab1c0954-0000000000009999-43caf82f82fb583fdfd which is failure to retrieve data; please try again later. Like I said this has been going on for over a month now with no fix and makes the money spent on the game feel like a waste.
Roster Sharing Must Transfer in NHL 26/27 - It’s Time
For the last two years, the community has been carrying NHL games on its back. I’ve seen people recreate: Full 1990s NHL rosters NHL 04, 06, 2010, 2014 throwback seasons Entire NCAA programs Full custom leagues Even deep builds like GTHL and OMHA AAA circuits And every single year? It all gets wiped. Deleted. Reset. Gone. Meanwhile, Madden — another EA title — allows roster imports from the previous year. So the question is simple: Why doesn’t NHL? The Problem: Creative Work Gets Erased Every Year Building a custom roster isn’t casual. It takes: Hundreds of hours Accurate player builds Ratings balancing Jersey numbers Equipment edits Face builds Contract setups League structure tweaks Team creation Logo matching This isn’t a weekend project. It’s an entire season commitment. And for what? So it can exist for a few months… and then vanish when the next game drops? That kills motivation. Why would anyone spend an entire year building out a fully playable NCAA system, or a 2010 NHL recreation, or a full GTHL AAA league — knowing it won’t transfer forward? Madden Already Solved This EA already has the infrastructure. Madden lets you: Import draft classes Carry over franchises Transfer custom teams/rosters year to year Same publisher. Same ecosystem. Same console generation. So how is roster continuity not already standard in NHL after two years of roster sharing being in the game? This isn’t a new feature request. It’s a missing foundational system. Why Roster Transfer Is Mandatory: Roster sharing isn’t just about downloading something cool for a few months. The entire point is: Long-term league building Community collaboration Annual updating Version improvements Historical preservation If I build a full OMHA AAA league, the vision isn’t “use this for six months.” The vision is: Let others download it Let them tweak and update it Let it evolve year over year Let it become the definitive version Without carryover, that never happens. The ecosystem resets every fall. That discourages creators. And without creators? Roster sharing dies. What Happens Without It: Here’s the reality: Fewer people invest time High-effort rosters disappear Casual, low-effort uploads dominate Community depth declines The mode loses long-term value It becomes temporary content instead of an evolving universe. Which is the opposite of what roster sharing should be. The Bigger Picture Sports games thrive on: Customization Legacy Community effort Long-term engagement Right now, NHL’s roster sharing feels disposable, and that’s a problem. If EA wants: More engagement More time spent in creation More online downloads A stronger community ecosystem Then roster transfer into NHL 26 is not optional. It’s mandatory. Final Thought If I spend 300+ hours building a full NCAA league, or a 2006 NHL recreation, or a complete minor hockey circuit… Why would I do it knowing it dies in 12 months? The whole point is for others to build on it. To refine it. To update it year over year. Madden already proves this is possible. It’s time for NHL 26 and NHL 27 to catch up. Roster sharing without transfer is temporary. This is so big it should be mentioned in promotional material for 27. Roster sharing with transfer builds legacy, and legacy is what keeps communities alive.Horrible gameplay
I swear this game is in Dior need of help. The Ai engine in the game is a joke, your new poke checking is ridiculous, your online play is absolutely disgusting. How in the world can these games get worse? Now I know I am not the best by far but you tell me how somebody said an 83 overall 5 ft 9 inches tall outskates and outmaneuvers a 92 overall that's 6 ft 4 in like how is that even possible? I like the new style of goalies but they still don't stop anything. Not for nothing but the Rangers are in a retool in real life EA needs to really do a retool with this game because I'll tell you right now if they put another game out like this next year nobody's going to buy it.
