We recently got to see some of the big changes coming to gameplay in NHL 26, and now it is the Be A Pro mode. After listening to player feedback, the team at EA has been hard at work making this year’s Be A Pro its best yet. Mike Inglehart, Gameplay Director, and David Pritchett, Principal Designer on EA Sports NHL 26 gave us a rundown of all the big inclusions and changes, making it feel like a completely new experience. Here are the main changes coming to Be A Pro in NHL 26.
Be a Pro is a total overhaul of what has come before. The developers felt as though there wasn’t enough emotion or authenticity. Dave Pritchett said he wanted it to be as “emotionally evocative as possible.” This comes from starting players off at the World Juniors and throws players into a new kind of beginning. While there is that focus on authenticity, the presentation has also seen key improvements, as well as the consequences ice hockey players face on the journey from rookie to professional.
There are now interactive cinematics. This time, there are countless opportunities to chow off the cutscenes across your career. Trophy Ceremonies; the NHL Draft; tunnel walk-out; and Stanley Cup locker room celebrations are all there. Facial animations have also received a ton of work. These new animations bring about that whole ethos about showing emotions on the faces of players and in turn make everything feel that little bit more authentic.
Not only that, voice acting makes its debut in NHL 26. The purpose is to elevate that superstar experience by making it feel real. During the presentation, we heard the San Jose Sharks’ very own Macklin Celebrini talking during an interaction with the player. In previous years, too many conversations were had and no real impact was felt from the player’s responses. There are consequences to every conversation now. Players will build or break relationships with agents, teammates, GMs, and coaches.
Finally, media engagement can have a real impact. Depending what is said in these segments, player traits can improve or drop depending on the answer. They will affect how players grow throughout the season, adding weight to what kind of player you are off the ice just as much as you are on it. EA is making some real changes to the NHL series. I can’t wait to see what awaits when I finally get to jump in and play.
To celebrate the Be A Pro reveal, EA released a trailer. It takes a deep dive into some of these important changes. You can watch it below:
NHL 26 is coming to PlayStation and Xbox on September 12th.
