EA Sports NHL 26 announce changes to Be a Pro mode

EA Sports has announced the changes that will be made to their Be a Pro mode for their upcoming NHL 26 game.

EA Sports unveiled all the details of the overhauled Be A Pro mode on their website, and in a video with San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini.

It’s the first time that the mode has seen significant changes since NHL 21, much to the criticism of long-time players. For five straight games, the mode had gone unchanged, even down to the infamous unskippable opening cutscene of your player’s agent being interviewed while you play pond hockey.

However, “pricey pond hockey” is no more, as the game mode will begin with your player being put into the semifinals of the World Juniors with a chance to perform on one of the biggest stages before the NHL Draft, directly impacting where your player is selected.

That’s one instance of NHL 26’s changes to the presentation of the game, where your performance will dictate your role on your team and how you’re treated by the media. Perform well and you’ll be rewarded, but fail to show up in the big moments, and you’ll be scrutinized by the team and media.

To add to the punishment factor, players will have the option of playing in the AHL for the first time since NHL 20 if their player doesn’t perform well enough.

Another new addition to the presentation of Be a Pro are new cutscenes focusing on the big moments of a player’s career, including walking through the tunnel at the start of a game, winning awards, winning championships, and even the send-off during your player’s final game.

Also new to the game are a re-imagined hub, which includes your in-season challenges, headlines of the top stories around the league and the new “form score”; a chapter-based structure for each season to change the pace of every season; and ways to control the story of your own player, from personality types to focusing on career earnings and how you spend that money.

NHL 26 is set to be released on September 12th, 2025.