NHL 26 is just around the corner, and with that, the team at EA Sports has given us a closer look at Be A Pro Mode, the career mode where players have to progress all the way from a rookie to a superstar, navigating storylines and choices along the way.

One of the big improvements touted for the mode this year is in its presentation, with new cutscenes letting you immerse yourself in your career, showing the moment you’re drafted, walking through the tunnel into the ice, and if you’re successful, celebrating with the Stanley Cup with your teammates in the locker room, all with voice acting from the pros.

You’ll also have to navigate more of the challenges off the ice, where post-match, you’ll be faced with questions about your performance from the media. Do well and you’ll get temporary buffs, but if you had a bad night out there, you’ll be grilled by the press and suffer debuffs. This can snowball on you too, as if you perform badly on a regular basis, you may even get demoted to the AHL.

The flow of the story has been overhauled too, based on player feedback about last year’s version of the mode. Now the story is a chapter-based one. You’ll start in the semi-finals for the World Juniors, where, after creating your character, your performance will determine your position in the NHL Draft that will heavily affect where your story goes from there.

NHL 26 launches on Sept. 12, 2025 for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.