When EA says they’re doing a “deep dive”, I usually expect there to be some meat on the bone. That doesn’t mean I need a dissertation on every line of code, but at least enough substance to walk away with a real sense of what’s new. Unfortunately, NHL 26‘s Be a Pro “Deep Dive” didn’t feel that way at all.
The video was slickly produced, full of buzzwords, and featured cameos from San Jose Sharks wunderkind Macklin Celebrini and others to add credibility. But when you strip all of that away, what did we actually learn about Be a Pro this year? That there are more cutscenes, more voice actors, and that the story starts in the World Juniors (not the full tournament, just two games). That’s pretty much it.
Another Presentation Overhaul
Anyone who’s read my previous coverage knows that I think the planned presentation in NHL 26 is dull, at best. When it comes to the presentation changes being made to Be a Pro, my opinion isn’t much different.
Things like cinematic tunnel walkouts, new trophy celebrations, and more immersive cutscenes are all on the menu for Be a Pro this year. And don’t get me wrong, it’s nice that EA is investing time in the visual aspect of the game, as it’s an important aspect of any sports title. After all, who doesn’t want to see their players celebrate with Lord Stanley’s Mug? But when it’s a headline feature of a career mode refresh, it feels a bit thin.
We’ve heard this song before. NHL 21 also leaned heavily on presentation updates when Be a Pro got its “big refresh” that year. And while the novelty of cutscenes carried it for about a week, it later became obvious that nothing had changed from a structural standpoint within the mode.
Your Actions Have Consequences, Or Do They?
Another big talking point was “consequences.” Your answers during media scrums affect your career. Your performance on the ice dictates whether you get benched, bumped up, or sent down to the AHL. All of this sounds compelling, so long as you haven’t been paying attention for the past few years. Every Chel game for the past several years has promised some version of this. And in practice, it’s been mostly surface-level — you pick a dialogue option, a chemistry meter ticks up or down, and life goes on.
The deep dive video made it seem like some kind of seismic change. But, we kinda already know where they’re going with this — something, something, “team player”, something, something, “hotdogging star.” Pretty sure this kind of thing has been in, like, every Mighty Ducks movie ever. Except, in the world of Chel, it probably won’t actually matter.
Be A Pro Needs Depth
OK, let’s get serious for a second.
Starting the Be a Pro career mode in the World Juniors is a great idea. In theory, it should give your journey a stronger narrative, especially when your draft stock is being tied to it. However, players will only have access to two World Juniors games, and then it’s done. No full tournament, no full season of junior hockey — a semi-final and a final, and you’re on your way. And from there, the repetitiveness pretty much spells itself out.
What I would’ve preferred in a “deep dive” was maybe a mention about how the progression system has changed, or maybe something about new team dynamics that makes acting like a jerk actually affect the play on the ice. But, we don’t have any word on that or if it’ll even really matter. Which makes me feel like Be a Pro mode will, yet again, lack the depth it needs.
It’s not that NHL 26 Be a Pro mode looks “bad” — it’s that it looks like virtually the same game we’ve been playing. EA framed this as a “reimagined” mode, but what they really showed us was a handful of cutscenes, a reshuffled prologue, and promises we’ve heard before.
Until EA actually invests in depth for NHL‘s single-player modes, the series will continue to skate in circles.
