As promised, the folks at EA Sports have pulled the curtain back on this year’s interactive partnership with the National Hockey League. Due to this, we can now share newly learned details about NHL 26, including its release date.
The other day, we told you that Florida Panthers star power forward, Matthew Tkachuk, would grace the game’s cover. Well, that’s true of both the standard edition and its deluxe counterpart. However, things will be a bit different when it comes to the latter, which will also feature his father, Keith, and his brother, Brady. The former was an NHL All-Star in the 90s, while the latter is the current captain of the Ottawa Senators.
This time around, NHL 26 is driven by real life NHL Edge data, allowing it to have more realistic positioning and puck tracking. This will be powered by the brand new ICE-Q 2.0 system. As such, players’ positioning, tendencies and play will be more realistic. The same will be true of its improved goaltenders, thanks to a faster and more responsive AI and what they call the Goalie Crease Control System.
Thankfully, this year’s iteration of the storied sports franchise will also have a revamped Be a Pro Mode. The developers are promising new storylines, characters and high-stakes challenges, which hopefully means that that old and tired opening cutscene featuring an agent talking while the most exciting prospect plays pond hockey on the top of a mountain is no more.
The press release promises the ability to compete in the World Junior Championship, as well as a more engaging fight to stay in the lineup, including time potentially spent in the minors. That’s good to hear.
There will also be new Hockey Ultimate Team seasons to compete in, as well as an offline mode called the HUT Cup Chase.
“NHL 26 is the most true-to-life experience we’ve ever built,” said Mike Inglehart, Creative Director at EA SPORTS. “It was created with fans who crave hockey authenticity in mind — the ones who live and breathe the game and know how it should feel. From deeper gameplay detail to the biggest Be A Pro update since NHL 21, everything we’ve done this year is about bringing them closer to the teams they love and the moments that define the NHL.”
Those who pre-order the Deluxe Edition will receive up to seven days of early access, a multitude of perks including Matthew Tkachuk at 99 OVR as an immediate reward in NHL 25, 4600 NHL Points, HUT Starter Choice Pack and much more.
Meanwhile, EA Play members will receive up to ten hours’ worth of early access, which will begin on the 5th of September. They’ll also get 3000 WOC coins and Season Pass XP multiplier tokens. That, plus ten percent off digital content preorders.
“My dad, Brady and I are all unique and play the way we want to. Sharing the cover of NHL 26 is an extension of that” said Matthew Tkachuk, forward for the Florida Panthers and featured athlete across both editions of this year’s game. “I’ve always tried to bring my own style to the ice, and seeing that captured in NHL 26 makes it feel like it is really me out there.”
“Growing up, Matthew and I dreamed of playing just like our dad,” said Brady Tkachuk, captain of the Ottawa Senators. “Even now, his influence on how we play and prepare remains huge. It’s an honor to be featured on the cover, and having him standing alongside us makes the whole thing even better.”
“I always told the boys to play hard, be smart, and never lose their personality out there,” said Keith Tkachuk, five-time NHL All-Star. “What you see now is two players with totally unique styles, and I’m proud to be sharing the cover with them.”
NHL 26 will launch on September 12th, and will do so on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles.