First NHL 26 Trailer Reveals Release Date, Platforms, and More

EA Sports has pulled back the curtain on NHL 26, the next entry in the yearly sports series. Following the arrival of a new trailer that has now been made available, we know the game’s release date, platforms, and more. NHL 26 will be released on September 12th, and the standard edition will be priced at $69.99. Like NHL 25, NHL 26 will be released exclusively on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, which means Sony and Microsoft’s previous platforms are being left in the past, and PC users are out of luck.

Preorders for the standard edition of NHL 26 will be accompanied by a bunch of bonuses. The most notable is seven days of early access. However, there are other bonuses as well, including a HUT Starter Choice Pack, 4600 NHL Points, a WOC Vanity Set, and more. Those who digitally preorder NHL 26 will also immediately receive Matthew Tkachuk 99 OVR in NHL 25. As revealed earlier this week, Tkachuk is this year’s cover athlete, so that preorder bonus makes a lot of sense. The new trailer for NHL 26 can be found below.

Play video

Unfortunately, today’s news is already proving to be something of a disappointment for those hoping to see NHL 26 on Nintendo Switch 2. That’s not terribly surprising; the series hasn’t seen an entry on a Nintendo system since NHL 06 on GameCube. Following today’s announcement, it’s been officially 20 years since EA brought the series to a Nintendo platform. EA’s stance on Nintendo support seems to be shifting in the Switch 2 era, with Madden NFL 26 set to be released on the system later this month. That gave hockey fans a little bit of hope for an NHL release as well, but it’s possible the sport remains a little too niche for EA to roll the dice on another system.

Without a version on Steam or Switch 2, anyone hoping to play NHL 26 in a portable format is out of luck. The idea of rink rats around the world playing the NHL series in locker rooms or in the stands at peewee hockey games sounds kind of awesome, but it seems it wasn’t meant to be. Maybe that will change for NHL 27 next year, but fans of the sport shouldn’t get their hopes up, unless something drastically changes.

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With NHL 26 just over a month away, we should start to get a lot more details about the game in the coming months. Last year’s entry left a lot of room for improvements, so it will be interesting to see exactly what has been changed, and how (or if) the developers can make it feel like a unique experience. That’s always the challenge with yearly sports games, and NHL 26 is certainly no exception. With the game priced at $69.99, hopefully the developers will give hockey fans a good reason to upgrade next month.

Are you looking forward to NHL 26‘s release? How have you felt about EA’s hockey games over the last few years? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!