I ask myself this question every single year when EA Sports releases the newest installment in the NHL series.
I’ve loved hockey for as long as I can remember — just like many of you — and I’ve been hooked on EA Sports hockey since the very first NHL Hockey on the Sega Genesis. Those were the glory days: long nights in front of the TV, eyes stinging and watering from playing too long, my buddy next to me, and his mom yelling at us to “get outside for once.” Those moments will always be my fondest gaming memories.
But let’s fast-forward to today. In Canada, NHL 26 costs $89.99 for the standard PlayStation 5 copy. Each year, EA advertises “new features,” yet somehow, the game never looks that different. The fighting engine hasn’t evolved, the crowd models are the same, and the overall presentation feels recycled. Honestly, it often feels like I’m rebuying the same game with only a few tweaks.
Last year, I got caught up in the hype and bought it at full price — only to see it drop nearly 50% just a few months later. That stings. With a little patience, you can save yourself a lot of money by waiting.
The core problem, in my opinion, is competition — or the lack of it. EA is the only company making an NHL hockey game now. When 2K stopped producing theirs, EA lost the push to innovate. I still remember skipping EA’s version for two years in a row just to buy the 2K series — and loving every second of it.
When there’s no competition, you can get away with putting out what feels like a rehashed product every year. And that’s why I’m not sure we’ll ever see big, game-changing differences in the NHL series again.
So here’s my question for you:
Do you buy NHL 26 at launch?
Do you think the yearly changes are worth paying full price? Or do you wait for the discount a few months later?
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. I’ll always cherish the first four Sega Genesis NHL games and NHL 14 — which I still think was the best hockey game of the 2000s.
Until next time…
GAME ON!
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