NHL 25’s Revamped Franchise Mode Adds Authenticity On and Off the Ice

Saturday 21 September 2024 – EA SPORTS is delighted to share the next installment of its NHL 25 Deep Dive series.

We explore Chel’s Franchise Mode, looking at what’s new and how our community has helped shape some changes. From streamlining the Franchise Mode hub to enhanced scenarios such as contract clauses and new conversation functions, NHL 25 continues to innovate to deliver a more authentic experience on and off the ice.

For a breakdown of the newest additions coming this year, view the NHL 25 Franchise Mode Deep Dive Video

Here are some of the major enhancements:

A NEW FRANCHISE HUB
Starting with the Franchise Hub, streamlined navigation gives players quicker access to new, relevant, and easy-to-digest information.

Ahead of each game, players will have new Widgets with various stats, including team point leaders, goals per game, powerplay percentage, and more for each franchise. Team leaders can also be viewed directly through the revamped hub at any point in the season.

Everything a player needs, from division standings to point leaders to updates on how players and teams perform throughout the year, is now more easily digestible. Also, the ticker at the bottom of the Franchise Hub screen continuously feeds information replicating the experience during the trade deadline. 

New Quick Links make it easier for players to locate the relevant information to manage their Franchise. Advancing the day, Stat Central Morale and essential Franchise-focused activities are now just a quick button press away.

BOX SCORES
Aiding players’ love for game stats, Box Scores delivers a breakdown of all major statistics from every game, including pre-and post-season, alongside the three stars from every match. 

AWARD TRACKING
Players can now also view the entire awards history for every player in the league within their player card. From early in their career to future awards won within your Franchise Mode, NHL 25 features the most extensive history of a player’s accomplishments.

NEGOTIATIONS AND CONTRACT CLAUSES
Contract clauses and trade protection add to the authenticity, giving players insight into what happens during negotiations. Players may now request partial or full no-movement clauses as a part of their contract, and team management can adjust them based on the franchise’s needs. Teams can also try to push a trade on a player based on the terms of their contract and their current motivation. 

Negotiations and contract clauses have undergone a significant overhaul, making the signing process more realistic. Additional factors now come into play when trying to sign a player, and it doesn’t just come down to contract length and salary. A new interest Organization Meter displays a player’s motivation for joining the team based on factors such as team status and market size.

CONVERSATION SYSTEM
Another area of focus is the Conversation System, which allows for assigning both short-term and long-term goals. These goals range from season objectives that can enhance attributes or X-Factor development to short-term aims that can yield immediate results or even lead to winning NHL awards. 

During the offseason, coaches can focus on a specific area of a player’s game to seek improvement on the ice. This now extends to position changes and playstyles. However, be prepared for a player to reject the request and lose motivation.

Lastly, this system improves roster management by setting preferred lines and locking players into specific roles. This allows for a more seamless process; for example, players returning from injury can easily shift back into the lineup without going through the old process of replacing them in every line slot.

DRAFT PICKS ADDED TO PLAYER MOVEMENT SCREEN
Another feature that helps the roster-sharing community is adding draft picks to the player movement screen. Players can now trade five years’ of draft picks to keep up with real-world rosters, make adjustments while waiting for the next NHL 25 update, and upload and share for other players to download with the new draft picks.

In case you missed it, we recently shared highlights of Presentation changes coming to NHL 25. This includes:

NEXT-GEN CHARACTERS
All of NHL 25’s in-game characters will receive a visual overhaul through the introduction of Sapien Technology and the power of the Frostbite engine on next-gen consoles. This includes new strand hair updates replicating real-world appearances and a new Cloth System, where clothing and jerseys dynamically flow and adapt to player movement. NHL 25 also has new anatomically correct skeletons that authentically represent women and deliver lifelike models. 
 
ALL-NEW GRUDGE MATCH SYSTEM
NHL 25’s all-new Grudge Match System tracks the history of matchups between teams across all major online and offline modes. It will show players’ relevant stats from previous meetings, adding fierce competition to the on-ice action. Grudge Match games now include Impact Players, who will earn special X-factors related to their performance in the previous matchups against rival teams. Adding to the authenticity, crowds will remember heroes and villains of previously played games with commentary that will allow players to remain immersed in their gameplay experience

ALL-NEW INFINITE CAMERA SYSTEM
NHL 25’s Infinite Camera System replaces Chel’s previous setup, revamping replays with increased variety and angles. These include broadcast-inspired wire, drone, and other static cameras positioned throughout the rink to capture more of the action. Plus, a new logic-driven system functions like a virtual TV producer, choosing the best angles, lenses, and timing for each moment. 

ALL-NEW HYPESTAGE
The Hypestage is a brand-new universal 3D platform that produces dynamic and immersive storytelling moments during key games and live events throughout the year.

Stay tuned for the HUT Deep Dive to learn how, in NHL 25, Hockey is Built Different.