I like hockey as much as the next Canadian male, having spent much of my youth and adult years watching and playing as much of it as possible. With the release of NHL 25 coming this week, I was able to get on the Early Access and hit the ice to see how this year’s iteration stacks up.
First of all, it’s worth noting that NHL 25 is the first iteration of the game built exclusively for next-gen consoles, specifically the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. At first glance, this might seem like EA is alienating a significant portion of their user base, but given that we’re nearly four years into the next-gen console cycle, it might be the right time to move on from previous-gen consoles.
As a result of moving to current-gen consoles, NHL 25 is able to offer several enhancements, including complete player likenesses across all NHL rosters and the new Infinity Camera system, which significantly improves the quality of instant replays.
A standout new feature in NHL 25 is EA’s gameplay intelligence system called ICE-Q. This system allows players to traverse the ice with greater precision, making it easier to spot open teammates or avoid game-changing open-ice hits. Additionally, both your AI and your opponents’ AI will benefit from the Empowered AI system, providing higher situational awareness and smarter in-game decision-making.
“NHL 25 is now powered by EA Sports’ Sapien Technology to bring you the most lifelike player models ever.”
What this means for the average player is a more true-to-life hockey experience, allowing you to make highlight-reel plays, deliver precise passes that slice through the defense, and more. To complement the Empowered AI, NHL 25 introduces Reactive Actions, which adds a new set of animations, enabling players to act with greater urgency and accuracy in crucial moments. This combination delivers a more immersive and dynamic gameplay experience.
Compared to NHL 24, I could clearly see the difference in NHL 25, particularly in the transition game when switching from defense to offense and vice versa. This improvement was most noticeable when I used—and eventually relied upon—the Next-Gen Vision Control system. By holding L2 (or LT on Xbox), this feature automatically positions your player’s body toward the puck, whether you’re in the offensive or defensive zones. It made it incredibly easy to man-mark opposing players and position myself perfectly for a one-timer from the left face-off dot—just like Ovechkin.
Franchise Mode
Some of the biggest updates in NHL 25 come to Franchise mode. The biggest, in my opinion anyways, is the Franchise Mode central hub. In this hub, all the information you could ever want or need as a budding NHL GM is available, and can be accessed quicker than ever, with fewer button presses to get there.
A thorough reworking of contract negotiations has been included as well. In previous years, it has been altogether too easy to just splash a bunch of cash at the biggest free agents and have them sign. In NHL 25, players have their own motivations and driving factors, so it may take a lot more finesse than you’re used to to convince Sidney Crosby to sign for you, especially if the risk/reward is too high.
Visual Upgrades
NHL 25 is now powered by EA Sports’ Sapien Technology, which delivers the most lifelike player models ever. Additionally, Strand Hair Technology enhances realism by showing sweat on jerseys as the game progresses, and the jerseys move in a much more lifelike manner.
While this all sounds impressive on paper, in practice, I only really noticed these details a couple of times in Be A Pro and once in Hockey Ultimate Team (HUT). Since the majority of the game is played using an overhead camera that doesn’t zoom in on the ice or players, these features didn’t feel like game-changers or defining aspects for me. However, Be A Pro has more cinematic moments, where these enhancements are more noticeable and effective compared to HUT or other game modes.
Hockey Ultimate Team
There are a couple of new features/modes inside of HUT in NHL 25, namely Wildcard and the XP progression system. Starting with Wildcard, this game mode allows you to draft your own team to take online to play against other people, or you can (as I choose to) play against the AI for lesser rewards. Wildcard also features a salary cap, so you have to be smart about who you take and what positions you want to stack.
I found Wildcard a lot of fun, especially because as the seasons go on, the rules of the game will change and update, so it does require a lot of thought and precision when selecting your players.
The XP Progression system receives a huge update, such that all XP that you earn in HUT, whether it’s in Squad Battles, Rivals, etc., goes towards a unified Battlepass that has both free and paid rewards. I like this update a lot as it shows players exactly what they will get at each XP level for both the free and paid rewards, and really makes it easy to decide if you want to purchase it or not.
Where It Falls Apart
NHL 25 has a lot going for it so far, but there are a fair few issues I have with some of the content, namely the microtransactions in HUT. We all know how integrated microtransactions are into games these days, especially live service games like NHL 25, EASFC 25, Fortnite, and more. They have become so enmeshed in the experience that it’s becoming a struggle to have quality content available that is just included in the game.
I was browsing through the pack store in HUT and came across the most expensive pack I have ever seen in a sports game. Coming in at a whopping 900,000 coins, or 12,000 points, the Ultimate Player Booster Pack will get you 20 players with a guarantee of only one player to be 83+ rated, and 10 to be 80+ rated. After having to pay $133.49 CAD to even get the game on Early Access, how EA can make it available for players to spend that amount over again for ONE pack in the HUT store is beyond me.
“NHL 25 has a lot going for it so far, but there are a fair few issues I have with some of the content, namely the microtransactions in HUT.”
And I know, there is nothing requiring anyone to purchase this pack (the store allows you to purchase two total) but the fact that it’s even available in Early Access is mind boggling to me. Also, not necessarily being pay-to-win, as there is no guarantee you’ll get the best players from buying this pack, as the highest rated card available in the game right now (that you can get from a pack) is Connor McDavid at 85 rated. When in two months time, there will be players available in packs that are much higher rated, it seems far too egregious to avoid mentioning.
During my early access time with NHL 25 in Be A Pro, I encountered a few bugs and oddities that threw me off. Chief among them were the strict requirements for objective completion. For instance, the “Cover The Point” in-game objective would often not register any progress, despite me doing exactly what was required. There was no feedback or explanation on why it wasn’t updating, leaving me frustrated. This issue wasn’t limited to just “Cover The Point”—several other in-game objectives failed to register progress, even when I was following instructions correctly.
Another issue I experienced universally across the game was the laggy menus. Given that NHL 25 was developed exclusively for next-gen consoles, I wasn’t expecting so much menu lag. Navigating the menus should be smooth, especially when managing things like buying and listing players in the Auction House in HUT or applying trait upgrades in Be A Pro. However, multiple button presses were often required to navigate, and there was a noticeable delay before actions were registered, making it a frustrating experience.
I enjoyed NHL 25 enough to continue playing it after this review is done, I just hope some of the bugs, menu lag, and objective tracking get fixed sooner rather than later. Be A Pro is a lot of fun, Wildcard is a lot of fun, HUT Squad Battles can be a lot of fun, so there is a lot to do this year to keep you busy, and with the unified XP progression, your rewards can be earned quicker than ever.
