EA SPORTS NHL 25 Gameplay Deep Dive Blog

Today, we’re going to take a look at ICE-Q, Chel’s new logic-driven gameplay system, and its suite of features, including:

• The next evolution of our skating system with Next-Gen Vision Control.
• Empowered AI’s complete overhaul of our AI player system.
• The new set of Reactive Action animations.
• Plus, the dynamic and deadly new Skill Based One-Timers.

Alright, let’s jump in. 

Hockey is evolving. Players are getting better, smarter, and more technical than ever before, which is why we turned to them, and our cover stars, the Hughes Brothers, as inspiration for our latest gameplay innovation: ICE-Q

ICE-Q’s trio of new features lets you create more time and space so you can control every inch of the ice.

Next-Gen Vision Control is an evolution of Chel’s skating system that allows you to create more time and space on the ice by providing fresh abilities, improvements, and a user-initiated skating mode that ups the responsiveness, explosiveness, and expression on the ice for human and AI players alike. 

Now, walk the blueline to help create space on the play, square up to the puck carrier, thread the needle through an opponent's defense, and stay locked on goal for better shot opportunities. For example, when Next-Gen Vision Control is active and the player has the puck in the offensive zone, they now skate with the net as the target. This opens up the player's body creating the ability to skate and attack the net, shoot the puck, or pass from anywhere in the offensive zone in a contextually more authentic way. 

If you are not in possession of the puck, on the offensive side the player will target the puck when Next-Gen Vision  Control is active. This allows for more accurate pass pick-ups and blends nicely with the new Skill-Based One-Timers.  

Defensively -  Next-Gen Vision Control gives you more control to face up to the puck at all times, helping you keep better gaps and spacing in the zone. This allows for more predictable and responsive positioning, creating opportunities to disrupt passing lanes or poke check the puck off the opposition’s stick.

Next-Gen Vision Control ultimately gives you more control on both sides of the puck and provides a more fluid skating experience that both looks and feels incredibly authentic.

Empowered AI is a complete overhaul of our AI player system, heightening CPU skaters’ awareness of other players and positioning on the ice, giving them more fluid and helpful reads to execute in a true-to-life fashion.

On top of that, all of Chel’s In Zone strategies — including Behind the Net, Overload, and Crash the Net — have been rebuilt from the ground up to allow skaters to better utilize open space and position themselves to be bigger offensive threats.

So, if you like grinding behind the net and executing jam plays, select Behind the Net. If you like possession passing and cycling through the zone, use Overload, and if you want to get pucks on the net and go for some greasy scrambles, Crash Net is for you.

We’ve also revamped Rush Plays and how players establish zone possession. The AI players now read plays better and glide into offensive positions instead of just crashing the far post, meaning you'll have more options each time you enter the zone.

New to NHL 25, Reactive Actions like collision avoidance animations allow players to swim past one another and into position smoothly like the pros, no longer running into and getting tangled up with each other. 

Plus, all-new panic turns let players quickly change direction and use their stick to take away space if they are beaten on the ice, making defensive players more athletic and dynamic. Players will also stick out their legs to try and block a shot or pass and offensive teammates will lower their sticks into passing lanes if they feel they're in a good spot.

Together, all of this means that our on-ice players are now more aware of what is happening during play, creating a new level of authentic intelligence and improving the moment-to-moment flow of gameplay.

Thanks to ICE-Q opening up more offensive opportunities, the new Skill-Based One-Timers really shine.

Anchored by a new in-game visual indicator that identifies a teammate as a target for a Skill-Based One-Timer, when passing to a teammate you’ll need to input the shot control as the puck arrives. The timing window to nail a Skill-Based One-Timer is dynamic and takes into account how fast the pass is traveling, as well as the shooter's abilities like the One T X-Factor.

If timed correctly you’ll unleash the Skill-Based One-Timer, which is more powerful and accurate. If your timing is off, the shot’s accuracy drops, raising the stakes and making the action all the more exciting.

We’ve also made general improvements across Goalies, Hitting, and the Pressure System.

Goalies 

• General Improvements preemptive save decisions & animations.
• Improved poke check & puck cover responsiveness and situation-solving.
• Improvements to save motion coming onto the goalposts.
• Increased save range including better solving for lacrosse goals.
• Goalies stay on their feet longer, and won’t drop to or stay in butterfly if they have time to get back up.
• Tweaks to save and capability models 
  • Improved readiness for controlled and redirected saves
  • Rebalanced goalie precision
• Improved decision-making for positioning 
  • One timers
  • Facing in-tight shots
  • Challenge distances
• New Actions Added
  • AI goalies will use the spread-v
  • User goalies can saucer pass
  • Goalies can cover the puck off of teammate's stick to better protect their own goals
  • Post-goal emotional reactions
  • Pad stack and desperation side poses are now merged

Hitting System

• Improvements to hit alignment to ensure more consistent outcomes
• New shoulder check animations from back-skating
• Improvements to shove and hit conflicts with shooting controls
• Get-up time is scaled based on player fatigue and the level of hits taken
• Fatigue drain varies based on the size of the hit delivered
  • The bigger the hit the larger the stamina loss
• AI will now use the hip check 
• Player sizes factor more into hit outcomes

Sustained Pressure System

• A team that activates pressure will receive a 20% increase to their on-ice player stamina meters

Thank you for checking out the EA SPORTS NHL 25 Gameplay Deep Dive Blog and stay tuned for details on the presentation, various gameplay modes, and more.

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EA SPORTS NHL 25 will release on Oct. 4 2024 and is now available for pre-order. Stay in the conversation by following NHL 25 on Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube.