00:00Hi everyone, I'm Will Lee, HUT producer on the EA Sports NHL team.
00:09And I'm Mike Englehart, Creative Director.
00:11Today we're excited to walk you through everything new in Hockey Ultimate Team
00:14and introduce you to some of the people who helped shape it.
00:16This year we've taken a big step forward, not just in how HUT plays,
00:20but how it stays connected to the sport itself.
00:22From your lineup to our live content,
00:24HUT is now more in sync with what's happening across the hockey world all season long.
00:29Let's take a closer look at what's new in HUT 26.
00:35The HUT main menu has been completely rebuilt.
00:38In past years it could feel slow and cluttered,
00:41and didn't always reflect how you actually use the mode.
00:44So we took a step back and redesigned it around the things you do most.
00:48The new layout loads quicker, takes fewer clicks,
00:51and gets you to where you want to go without the extra friction.
00:54You'll also see your top players featured right on the home screen.
00:57It's a small change, but one that helps you make the mode feel more like it's yours.
01:01We also brought over something players really liked from Wild Card,
01:05the improved lineup screen.
01:07That layout has now been applied across the Edit Lines experience.
01:11Cup Chase is a new offline mode in NHL 26 that gives solo players a more structured and rewarding way to play.
01:22It's built around an 18-game schedule, followed by two rounds of playoffs,
01:26with each round played as a best of three.
01:28You build your lineup, play through your season, and see how far you can take your team.
01:33You'll also be able to choose your own difficulty level.
01:37That makes Cup Chase more flexible whether you're still learning the mode,
01:41or if you're looking for a tougher challenge.
01:43It has its own reward track, separate from the XP path,
01:47that gives you something tangible after each step in your season.
01:50You're earning content specifically designed for this mode,
01:54and you're getting it on your own schedule.
01:56No waiting for resets,
01:58no wondering how your rewards stack up against someone else's.
02:02And just like other modes in HUT 26,
02:04your progress here also contributes to your overall XP path.
02:08So even if you're focused on solo play,
02:11you're still making meaningful progress towards your season goals.
02:18Let's talk about ranked.
02:19This is a brand new competitive mode in NHL 26,
02:22a full rework of how head-to-head progression works in HUT.
02:25The first big change is matchmaking floors.
02:28Once you reach a division, you'll stay there for the rest of the season.
02:32If you earn your way up, you won't be knocked back down after a few tough games.
02:37It helps take some pressure off and lets you focus on improving,
02:41not constantly trying to recover lost ground.
02:44We also reworked the rewards.
02:46Every game now contributes to something.
02:48There are now better defined tiers and more visibility
02:51into what you're earning as you go.
02:53If you reach the qualification division,
02:55you'll unlock access to HUT champs,
02:57the highest level of ranked play,
02:59with the toughest competition and the most exclusive rewards.
03:03At the end of each season, the ladder resets.
03:06This gives you a new opportunity to climb.
03:08And if you're able to reach the top,
03:10there's something special waiting.
03:11Players who hit the ultimate rank will unlock a jersey
03:14that's unique to that season.
03:15It's a way to show you made it to the highest tier,
03:18and each season will bring a new design to earn.
03:21Ranked now gives you more to play for,
03:23and a better sense of what each match means.
03:29In NHL 26, we wanted every lineup decision to matter a little more.
03:33The first big change is in the introduction of player combinations.
03:37Combinations are bonuses that activate based on how your lineup is constructed.
03:41Things like stacking a certain item type, connecting teammates, or nationalities.
03:47The more purposeful your build, the more you'll unlock.
03:50These bonuses can affect key areas of your team,
03:53including boosts to ability points, salary cap,
03:55or overall improvements to players when the right pieces come together.
03:59To support deeper roster planning,
04:01we've also introduced a salary cap system.
04:04It adds another layer to team building
04:06by encouraging smarter, more intentional lineup decisions.
04:09All of this connects directly to how content is delivered throughout the year
04:13through Hutt Seasons.
04:15Seasons are no longer just a date on the calendar.
04:17They're the biggest content moments in the mode.
04:19Each one drops a full wave of new cards,
04:22themed events, objectives,
04:24and lineup building opportunities.
04:26But more than that,
04:27every season is built to bring back that feeling you get at the start of a new Hutt year.
04:31The excitement of seeing what's new,
04:33figuring out your strategy,
04:35and deciding where to take your team next.
04:37And it's important to call this out,
04:39you're not starting over when a new season begins.
04:42Your lineup stays intact.
04:44Your progress carries forward.
04:46What you've built still matters.
04:48Hi everyone, I'm Jamie, Hutt producer on the live team.
04:55And I'm Mitchell, Hutt designer on the live team in NHL 26.
04:58In NHL 26, the structure of our core programs is directly shaped by the feedback from the community.
05:03Captains, rookies, heroes, and icons are now the foundation of Hutt's content plan.
05:08These four programs will roll out consistently across each season,
05:11and each one is designed to support different types of roster building.
05:14Each of these core programs brings something different to the table.
05:17Captains are designed to lead your team each season.
05:19At the start of every season, you'll choose a captain from a curated pool.
05:23A mix of current leaders, past fan favorites, and even future faces of the franchise.
05:27Heroes highlight players who meant everything to a fan base.
05:30Think Keith Kachuk, Alesh Hemsky, Zdeno Chara, Rob Blake, Marcus Naslund, or Jeremy Roenick.
05:36Icons celebrate the players who shaped the sport itself.
05:40Names like Sergei Fedorov, Joe Thornton, Chris Pronger, Chris Chelios, Henrik Lundqvist, or Timu Solani.
05:46Rookies shine a spotlight on exciting first year talent from across hockey history.
05:51This program will grow throughout the season as new players emerge and take center stage.
05:55We've also made changes to how our alumni players fit into the system.
05:58They will now have their own card type and they will be core pieces to obtain at launch.
06:03Better connected to lineup building mechanics and built to contribute right away.
06:11In HUT26, it starts right away with early access and there's a lot to jump into.
06:15It starts with Fresh Ice, the first event of the year.
06:18This is a limited time event with objectives, moments, and rewards that help you get your team off the ground before the season officially begins.
06:25If you picked up the Deluxe Edition, you'll unlock a Fresh Ice item, which helps you progress through early content
06:31and gives your lineup a boost out of the gate.
06:33There's also a dedicated XP path available only during early access.
06:37It offers additional rewards and it's a great way to build your team early to set a strong foundation before the full content cycle begins.
06:44Fresh Ice also connects directly to a completely new worldwide launch event coming right after early access.
06:50Completing Fresh Ice will help you transition into that launch window smoothly.
06:53We'll have more to share about the global launch soon, but Fresh Ice sets the tone and gives you a head start for what's next.
06:59Alongside Fresh Ice, we're also launching something brand new, a live content program called Chell Weeks.
07:04Chell Weeks delivers a structured drop of new content across five days with something new added each weekday.
07:10Each week is built around a theme with a mix of buildable players, objectives, collections, a spotlight player item, and a community vote that ties everything together.
07:19Our first Chell Week launches during the early access window.
07:22The theme is Cult Superstars, players who are beloved by fans for how they play, not just how much they score.
07:27These are the heart and soul types, the ones who leave it all on the ice.
07:31This has been a year of real change and a year of listening.
07:35From new solo experiences to redesign systems and new content delivery, NHL 26 reflects a lot of what you've asked for.
07:44We're making a real effort this year to listen to community and reflect that feedback across the entire mode.
07:49There's a lot planned for the future, but we're also leaving room to keep learning and adapting along the way.
07:55Thanks for playing and thanks for being a part of it.
07:58This is part of it.
08:01This is a part of it.
08:05This is a part of it.
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