Why you should lower your expectations for NHL 25
I’ve seen a lot of people saying things like “I think NHL 25 could really be a good game”. For your own sake, please lower your expectation. If you think about it, what do we even know about NHL 25? We do know we’re getting new game presentations, but only in rivalry games. Also, these presentations won’t be realistic, which is the only thing the community asks for. We do know player AI is getting an improvement. However, as seen in the gameplay deep dive, the AI players are still just skating around with no plan on the ice and it’s all just a big mess. Some people want an updated franchise mode, which actually will be coming this year, allegedly. We are less than two weeks from release day and still no news about the “new” franchise mode, which probably will just be a slight change in the menu. I don’t know what you think, but I’m pretty sure we can expect the same cutscenes in Be A Pro. For how long have they used these cutscenes? 5 years in a row maybe? These are just some of the reasons why you should lower your expectations on NHL 25. Myself, I won’t be buying the game. If we all don’t buy it, EA will get the wake-up call necessary to develop a game that is actually ok to play.
Franchise questions
What additional access will we have to edit our franchise experience in NHL 25? Really hoping for the ability to edit strategies, player positions and players attributes in general. Bought every version since 2001 and want full control back. The other EA titles do it? Why not NHL?
Can the NHL 25 pressure Meter icon be turned off?
Does anyone know if the pressure meter icon can be turned off this year? It totally kills the immersion and realism in franchise mode to have that arcade style icon in the middle of the zone, and then the boards flash when it goes “full pressure”. I don’t think I will buy the game this year if it isn’t possible to turn it off. Last year I played 3 games in my Franchise Mode and then came to the realization I couldn’t play anymore with that silly arcade look. Please EA make it an option to turn the icon off! Please!!!
Still no news regarding Presentation and Franchise Deep dives...
The game is out in 11 days, and we still have nothing to care about. I understand they delayed the Gameplay trailer due to the tragedy, but it almost makes me feel like EA had nothing to show anyways. I will not be buying NHL 25, unless its goes on crazy sale and there is new stuff. I stopped buying NBA2k and Madden every year. Looks like its definitely time to just stick to NHL 24 or maybe go back to an older one on PS4.
Hi everyone, just here to have a chat about franchise.
I run a GM Connected league through HUT and my league is looking for general managers, we're currently at 19/32 and would love to fill things out before the league starts. If you've never heard of a HUT Connected league before, I'll break it down for you. It's the same basic principle of any GM mode really. You manage your roster, make trades, draft players, go through free agency, and all of the other things that go along with managing a team. We run it through HUT, so you're required to collect all of the players for your roster, they don't have to be base cards, but we do have a salary cap that is based on overall points. Our cap right now is 1610, which means all of the player overalls on your team added together can't exceed that amount. The cap increases after every season to allow for teams to improve while keeping in line with the natural progression of the game. We use current real life rosters, not a fantasy draft format or anything like that. We run communications through discord to allow for easy communication. We play our games through 'play a friend' so you and your opponents are responsible for figuring out a time to play that works for the both of you. Our schedule is between 3-4 games a week, and seasons are generally between 30-32 games in total. After every 2 seasons, we have a complete roster reset and begin the team selection process over again. We also run various themed tournaments throughout the year. There is more to the league than that, but if the idea interests you and would like to join, or if you would just like to know more information, please don't hesitate to reach out, I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have. We're all there to have fun and enjoy the game, and try to replicate something as close to an online franchise mode as possible. We like to cultivate an inclusive place for everyone who is as enthusiastic about the game as we are. We're looking forward to an eventual return of online franchise mode, but in the meantime, this definitely scratches the itch. Thanks for reading, take care, and lets all have a blast with '25!
Player Age Adjustments and Season Start Dates
I was speaking with Vasy, who creates amazing rosters that are shared in the NHL games. We agreed on 2 things that would greatly improve offline experiences. One is being able to edit a players age, so that after the draft we can place drafted players onto their proper teams, instead of getting the notification that the player is "too young to move". The second thing would be to be able to select a start date for your season. This would mean that if you are on NHL 25 and the draft has occurred you could select to start your season in 2026, or a date during that pre-season. Which in theory, should adjust the player ages to their proper age, allowing you to move them onto their proper teams. Both of these would help with the offline player accuracy and experience overall. On the player movement note it would be good to have the age limit restrictions on movement between teams removed. Its my game that I purchased, if I want to move a young player to a different team in offline mode, why should I not be able to? I realize that the chances that they have listened to these requests from previous years is pretty slim. I also realize that we likely won't hear about this until we start playing on Sept 27, however passing along this feedback would be greatly appreciated EA_Aljo Thanks
NHL 25 CHEL and Franchise/Season
Just asking for CHEL customizations to not be so tedious with have to edit appearance and name for home, away, and alternates. Cool to have the abilty, but not needed especially for player name and info. Should have apply to all option for some of those things. Also can we just forget about junior and semi pro stadiums for clubs. It is the worst grind to unlock pro stadiums in 24. Just make them all available or have the loot boxes just give you different variations and historic rinks and jawn. CHEL coin were also pointless and was a pretty crappy system to use. I would recommend drop that. As for Franchise and Season mode, would definitely listen to the community on this one. I dont play these modes like i use to. My friends and I use to love doing seasons on the same team. Real players and real teams against the AI with updated rosters. This would be cool to do online with up to 6 players on the same team working through season to season and even going through fantasy drafting to create our ideal team. It would be a cool option rather than CHEL.
Team Builder in NHL 25
The addition of team builder to NHL 25 would be incredible. For many years, I have spent countless hours in the creation zone, creating hundreds of teams and thousands of players. Team Builder is far superior to the NHL creation zone. The creation zone has barely been updated since 2017 (maybe even longer?) and Team Builder would be a fantastic solution and a welcomed feature. This is something that benefits both online and offline players. Thanks EA.
NHL 26/Future Titles with TSN
Since the change from NBC to Generic in NHL 20, people wanted an authentic broadcasting experience, I like the new scoreboard change for now but in future NHL games we want a new authentic broadcasting from a real broadcasting partner. A perfect match is with TSN, TSN already livestreams IIHF events with the same modes in NHL 24 of the WJC, WC, and WWC. TSN also streams CHL games, and EA partner up with Bardown to add their jersey into the game and promote NHL 24, and EA brought in Cheryl Pounder from TSN to be the new color commentator. I will go through the modes/features that will positively help make the game feel more realistic and authentic. Commentators: We want new Commentators in the newer NHL games, James Cybulski was great but we need a new change, we already have Cheryl as the color commentator so it leaves one man to replace and be the new voice in NHL games. It's the legend himself, Gord Miller. He would be a fantastic addition to future games and will join greats as Jim Hughson, Gary Thorne, and Mike "Doc" Emrick in the EA NHL Series. You could also add regional commentators like Bryan Mudryk for Canadiens English Games or have Dennis Beyak for Jets games (for him it will be hard since he is retired). But at least if TSN is in NHl 26/Future Games, have Gord Miller as the main commentator. Franchise Mode: This is mostly for the social feed but have Bob McKenzie, Craig Button, Pierre Lebrun, Darren Dreger, and more to announce trades, signings, extensions, and even rumors. Have them do their draft rankings for the upcoming season to see what they predict what prospects, ponteinal, skills, and depth analysis, Even have regional reporters like John Lu for Winnipeg Jets news or Ryan Rishaug for Edmonton Oilers news, there is so much potential here in just the social feed. For Trade Deadlines have a cutscene/menu with James Duthie and the crew sitting in Studio 6 on their phones and computers updating and getting the latest trades/rumors so we can make our next moves. For a Free Agency Frenzy Mode, same with the Trade Deadlines but have a Top 50 UFA/RFA list presented like in RL, have a team logo next to a player when that team signs them. There so much more but I'll end it here. Be A Pro: If EA bring multiple seasons in the CHL and bring it into European Leagues. I want Bob McKenzie, Craig Button, and others to see me from my performance, leadership, awards, etc. To rank my player on their draft ranks to get the ideal to improve my draft stock or train better In a certain stat that I'm not good at, Bardown can also have their podcast in BAP as a replacement for James Radio Show, and have me get interview from either a generated interview or an actual interview from TSN, like if I'm playing in or against Edmonton have Ryan Rishaug interview me a question and depending the response it's either gonna be a positive/negative impact my team, teammates, management, and a cool new feature EA could add, the media and they can respond on the social feed with something like. Ryan Rishaug: Today before the game against EDM. Joe NHL said "We hope to win today and clinch a playoff spot and hopefully go all the way" sounds like Joe is very confident in his team and hopes to make the playoffs". At the end of BAP have someone on TSN say either I was one of the greatest/underrated/biggest bust/whatever players and if I should be in the HHOF on my career stats, awards, teams, etc. Yet again more I would talk about but that's it for BAP. Etc. Somethings to either if TSN is added, I hope for the commentating they don't mention X-Factors, it breaks immersion and realism, add that to HUT or WOC but not in Offline Modes. Hope they bring back what they added in NHL 15 with NBC is when they used real footage of the arena or city from the sky or from outside the building. For the scoreboard, keep it like what is in real life, from showing the lineups, to showing what tournament it is, the playoff score, and the animations when teams scored. Final Notes: This is my first post on the forums so sorry for my bad spelling or if you find something you can't understand. I am new here, and I hope to post new ideals here and have a chance to have EA see this and my future discussions and take it into considerations for future games. I Love Hockey like most of the community here is, I also have great Ideals for the future and I hope to share these Ideals to EA to make this game greater and greater every year. Who would you want to be the new broadcasting package in NHL? ESPN? SportsNet? Bally Sports??? Let EA know.
Regarding the survey
I got an e-mail with a survey about NHL 24. It was quite frustrating to be honest. Might be a slight exaggeration to say 75% was about World of CHEL, but it felt like it. How come there aren't any surveys with more questions about Framchise Mode? I expressed it in the survey as well, that you are kind of wasting your time asking me about World of CHEL. I have tried it, but I am a Franchise-player and no matter what is done to World of CHEL, it simply isn't Franchise Mode. Savvy? World of CHEL can be amazing for all I know, but with days only being 24 hours long, I will never have time for it and answering the survey won't improve it. I bet there are many of us here who are FM-players and who would have plenty to add to a survey about Franchise Mode or Be a Pro. Just something that hit me and that I had to get of my chest. It felt so pointless to answer the best and worst (and more!) things about WoCHEL when I've started the mode once, simply because I all I want to do is to do is to edit my roster and play Franchise Mode. Ove' rant out! 😅