How NHL 25 Balances New Features with Core Gameplay: Developers Reveal Key Challenges

In this interview, Mike Inglehart, the Senior Game Design Director, shares insights into the development process of NHL 25. He discusses the challenges and triumphs faced by the team, the balancing act of introducing innovative features while refining core mechanics, and the importance of player feedback in shaping the game. Inglehart also delves into the unique aspects of ice hockey that influence game design and reflects on the marketing strategies used to broaden the NHL’s appeal in less traditional regions. Join us as we explore the intricacies of creating a more authentic hockey experience in NHL 25.

What were some of the biggest challenges in developing NHL 25 compared to previous iterations?

The new Empowered AI was definitely one of our bigger challenges on NHL 25. Any time you approach taking an AI system and essentially rebuild it within a confined period of time it comes with risk. Initially you need to understand the underlying system that is currently driving the game and then based on where you want to take the game, determine how you best transition knowing your game needs to ship within a defined window. So the margin for error is small. 

Our approach was very solid as we took the right time to build the new foundation and then doing as much iteration as possible we were able to get it into a place where it has provided a much improved gameplay experience this year. AI is one of those features where you are never truly done and there are more areas we would like to attack in the future but this was definitely one of the biggest challenges this year.

How did you balance adding new features while refining the core gameplay mechanics?

We try to approach this by first retaining the gameplay from the final patch that was released in the previous cycle. With any patch we decide to put out and its reception by the community we ensure that we maintain that last point of quality heading into the next cycle. Then as we bring to life the respective gameplay vision for the coming year we do an assessment of areas that either will be affected or discover necessary balancing through iteration. ICE-Q and all of the three features under that umbrella for example influenced us to slow down the game speed to allow players to use the new skating and in addition be able to feel the new AI benefits by having more time to see and make passes on the ice. At the faster speed much of the benefit was harder to feel as everything was simply just happening too fast. 

And then with the game speed slowed down we needed to tweak how the Sustained Pressure system from NHL 24 worked as slower game speed meant fewer game events which caused that system to basically become non-existent. This was an emergent discovery that we adjusted for in development.

When it comes to new features that alter the meta such as our Skill Based One Timers, it truly is a balancing act. You want new features to have impact and change the way the game plays but also not have the game simply shift to one new meta design but instead have that new feature complement everything else. With the Skill Based One Timers they needed to have impact without being too overpowered. We feel we landed in a good place with them at launch in terms of being a weapon to fear but also something that can be defended with defensive adjustments.

With the advances in AI, how has player realism improved, and what role does it play in the game’s depth?

Making a more intelligent gameplay experience was a huge focus of ours for NHL 25 introducing ICE-Q for the first time. This has played into some more obvious things like overhauling the CPU player system, giving them more awareness of other players’ positioning on the ice. But ICE-Q has also factored into our Next Gen Vision Control, which really refines skating in a way that makes it feel so much more authentic. ICE-Q also impacts animations, making them more responsive to critical situations. Some of these things can be subtle, but players really feel it when they sit down to play the game for the first time that there is a lot more depth to the gameplay experience.

How does the team prioritize player feedback when planning updates and patches? What are some of the ways you engage with the player community to understand their needs and expectations for NHL 25?

We’re always checking out what our players are doing and monitoring their experience with the game. So far, it’s been awesome to see how the gameplay updates like ICE-Q are being received, but we’re always excited to hear feedback they may have to help us improve NHL 25 and other games down the road.

Gathering feedback ranges from different surveys that our partner teams execute within our player bases, user testing that we do throughout development, alongside our community team capturing live feedback from players once the game launches. Personally, I also engage with players on social media platforms when I have time to get specific feedback and ideas. We value our players and the community at large and we always are actively listening.

How does developing the NHL franchise differ from other EA Sports franchises like FIFA or Madden?

That is a great question but given my sole focus on NHL it is tough for me to represent any details from the other teams beyond that we operate in similar development cycles. Given we are under the same EA SPORTS umbrella we do connect with the other sports titles where it makes sense and understand where each game is headed and offer any learnings from each of our respective experiences.       

What unique aspects of ice hockey present challenges that are distinct from other sports games?

Hockey is a totally unique experience from other sports games. It’s played in a lot of half-circles and tight spaces, which creates a lot of interesting challenges as a game maker. We have to consider things such as overall game flow and the emergent bounces that drive the sport of hockey. When you break down the sport, there are a ton of reactive and adaptive moments that the athletes need to make to respond to how the puck bounces. A lot of the work we did this year with the ICE-Q features was aimed at creating a more authentic hockey experience. And so far that has resonated with our players.

The goal scoring mechanics are also an interesting challenge as high danger and high scoring opportunities need to be balanced but also understood as to why the puck may or may not be going into the net. Our goalie fatigue system has helped bring some visibility to this aspect of the game. The more you can wear down a goalie in the real sport you increase your chances of scoring but a goalie can also flat out rob you in those instances. So while you need to create sense and understanding into how a game plays you also need to make sure that there is room for the unthinkable to happen.

There are also the specific nuances of hockey that you want to try and work into the experience such as those attacking shirts where you have a team pinned and we brought that to life with our Sustained Pressure System last year, rewarding attacking teams for good offensive zone play and challenging a defending team to weather the storm.

Of all the sports games I have worked on hockey is definitely one of the most challenging but when you have all of the pieces playing harmoniously it is incredibly rewarding to play and feel. And we have many more ideas to continue to build and evolve the hockey gameplay within our series.

What marketing strategies do you use to expand NHL’s appeal in regions where ice hockey is less popular?

I can’t necessarily speak for the marketing team, but as a developer of the game, we do feel humbled by the way that the EA NHL series has served as an introduction to the sport of ice hockey for some fans in places where they might not be able to see a game in person or even on TV. It certainly motivates us knowing that for some players, this might not only be their first time playing one of our games, but it might also be their first exposure to the sport itself.

What goes into the decision-making process for choosing the cover athlete each year? Could we see someone like Juraj Slafkovský featured in the future?

It’s a long process with a lot of factors. This year, the Hughes brothers just felt like obvious choices because of their exceptional hockey IQs. Their ability to anticipate the game matches perfectly the way that ICE-Q opens up NHL 25 and gives players the time and space to control every inch of the ice. While I can’t share who will be on future covers, we really do enjoy reading cover athlete speculation, so please do keep sharing who you think we should pick!