ICE-Q: It's true hockey intelligence. Built on a brand new logical animation system, ICE-Q responds to contextual events on the ice with unprecedented authenticity and is the foundation of the Chel gameplay overhaul.
The result? A trio of new features that give players more control over the action than ever before, a major upgrade to CPU player reliability and accuracy, and a massive new animation set that makes the game a smoother and more realistic experience.
Once skill-based: read the attacking zone, find an open teammate, and be rewarded with a deadly timer that you can see, feel, and hear the impact. Skill-based One-Timers create authentic game tension as offensive excitement and expectations blend with defensive concern and anticipation, each pass creating unique moments and opportunities for high-scoring probability shots.
GRUDGE MATCH: hockey is at its best when the competition is fierce. The all-new Grudge Match system tracks the history of matchups between teams across all major online and offline modes in NHL 25 to add more context, stakes, and heat to confrontations with your rivals.
Next-generation characters: the best thing about reality. Thanks to the introduction of Sapien technology in the NHL franchise and the power of our Frostbite engine on next-gen consoles, all NHL 25 characters have received a serious visual overhaul.
This includes new fabric chain updates and hair strands that offer authentic and realistic models.
HUT GAME MODE: the all-new Wildcard mode implements unique rules per competition cycle, keeping players on their toes and ready to adapt to each cycle. Additionally, all XP earned in squad battles, rivals, and Wild Card are now combined into a single progression path, meaning that each HUT mode rewards you the same, no matter where you play.