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E-cards NHL 27, FC 27 and NBA 2K27: What’s New in This Year’s Biggest Sports Games?
Connected Franchise, the end of L2/LT spam, The Grounds and a career spanning NBA history. Find out what’s new in NHL 27, FC 27 and NBA 2K27, and how they’ve changed compared to last year’s instalments.
Every year, September brings its own transfer window for fans of sports games. The real-life leagues are only just getting underway, whilst on consoles and PCs the traditional question is already being asked: is it worth upgrading to the new edition again? NHL, EA Sports FC and NBA 2K have decades of development behind them, and with series released every year, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to convince players that the new number on the cover represents a significant enough step forward. Aside from the annual mainstays in the form of online modes, developers sometimes go the extra mile—and sometimes not quite so much—to entice players with something completely new. And this year, it looks as though we’ll feel those changes more keenly!
NHL 27, EA Sports FC 27 and NBA 2K27 therefore share the same objective, but each approaches it slightly differently. The virtual ice hockey game attempts to give individual teams their own identity, introduces the long-awaited online Franchise mode, and also addresses L2/LT abusers. FC limits the assistance provided by artificial intelligence, overhauls several core mechanics, and opens up a brand-new social space called The Grounds. And NBA 2K27, after many years, is introducing one of the biggest changes to MyCAREER, where it takes us through various eras of NBA history and, for the first time, allows us to play through a career with a friend. So let’s take a look at what the three biggest sports games of autumn 2026 will actually bring.
NHL 27 – Putting a Stop to L2/LT Spammers and the Return of Connected Franchise
• Release date: 11 September 2026 (Owners of the Deluxe Edition can play from 4 September)
• Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
NHL 27 doesn’t bring a revolution that would completely overhaul the skating or the gameplay as a whole. This time round, EA has tackled a problem that has long plagued the series – the difference between individual teams was much greater on paper than it was on the ice. The way NHL 26 used ICE-Q 2.0 and NHL EDGE data to distinguish individual players more clearly is something NHL 27 now aims to apply to entire teams. Each of the 32 clubs will therefore have its own playbook based on real-world positional data.
It’s not just about a different formation during a power play, because EA wants to capture the way in which individual teams attack, position themselves in the attacking zone, apply pressure or react to specific situations in the match. Two teams may both employ an aggressive forecheck, but their movement, spacing and pressure on the opposition should manifest themselves differently. If the system fulfils its purpose, choosing a team will finally mean more than just a different squad and combination of jerseys.
However, even more attention is being drawn to the return of Connected Franchise, which has been one of the community’s most requested features for years (it was last available in NHL 14). In the new NHL 27, this will allow players to build their own leagues with other players, set their own rules and manage them using various utilities. A single league can comprise up to 32 player-controlled teams, with the system offering flexible match scheduling and squad management. EA is not presenting Connected Franchise as a one-off experiment, but as a foundation that it intends to develop further in the coming years.
The presentation has also undergone a major overhaul. All 32 stadiums are set to feature a more authentic atmosphere reflecting each specific club, with the game incorporating different pitch entrances, goal celebration sequences, chants, lighting effects and other elements typical of each individual arena. Added to this is a revamped broadcast and a new commentary team comprising John Buccigross (from ESPN) and Darren Pang (the Chicago Blackhawks’ team commentator). NHL 27 may not seem like a completely new game at first glance, but EA is clearly trying to address one of the series’ biggest weaknesses – the fact that a match in Montreal and one in Florida often felt suspiciously similar.
EA is also targeting one of the most annoying exploits of recent years – the so-called L2/LT spammers. Vision Skating via L2 will be slower at higher speeds and at more extreme angles, and players will no longer be able to interrupt a running animation so easily by stickhandling, which should significantly limit unrealistic turns with your back to an opponent and endless circling with the puck.
What Will Change Compared to NHL 26?
• Connected Franchise will introduce online management of custom leagues with up to 32 player-controlled teams.
• A drastic nerf to the use of the L2/LT button has been announced, which should bring a more realistic style of hockey back to the game.
• NHL EDGE will no longer focus solely on the behaviour of individual stars, but will help create unique playing styles for all 32 teams.
• Each club will have its own playbook and a more distinct tactical identity.
• The revamped stadium atmosphere is designed to better reflect the real-life traditions of individual clubs.
• The game features a new broadcast and the commentary duo of John Buccigross and Darren Pang.
• Whilst NHL 26 significantly overhauled ‘Be a Pro’, goalkeepers and individual player behaviour, NHL 27 places greater emphasis on Franchise mode, team identity and presentation.
EA Sports FC 27 – Less Automation, More Football in Your Hands
• Release date: 25 September 2026 (Owners of the Ultimate and Ultimate Plus Editions can play from 18 September)
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch
With FC 27, EA has decided to focus on an issue that players of Ultimate Team and competitive modes face practically every year: what exactly does the player actually do, and what does the game do for them? The main theme of the new gameplay is therefore greater control and less automation. Players will notice this most clearly in defence, where AI teammates are no longer so keen to rush into automatic tackles. They are meant to hold their positions and support the player’s decisions, whilst winning the ball back will depend to a greater extent on switching to the right defender and the timing of the tackle. Players under manual control will benefit from faster jockeying (pushing the opponent off the ball) and a greater reach when performing a standing tackle (stripping the ball from an opponent).
The same philosophy carries over to the other half of the pitch. Through balls will no longer correct a poorly aimed pass so aggressively, and the ball will follow the movement of the analogue stick much more accurately. Crosses will also be revamped, with the ball being played into open space more often rather than automatically seeking out a specific teammate, and corner kicks will also feature new options. Before crossing, we’ll be able to switch between players in the box, create space or manually set up a run. At the same time, the attack will feature smarter off-the-ball movement, runs around defenders and new ways to manually trigger players’ runs.
However, the biggest new feature in FC 27 isn’t found on the traditional 11-a-side pitch. The Grounds is a new shared football space for up to 100 players and also the new home of the Clubs mode. It consists of three districts inspired by different football cultures, between which we can move around, meet other players, play small friendly matches, take part in various activities, or join Clubs straight away. EA aims to make The Grounds a vibrant space that evolves through the seasons and events – something much closer to a social hub than a traditional menu. The feature will be available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Switch 2.
And let’s not forget Career Mode, which has also received a major overhaul. The transfer market will be completely restructured, clubs’ behaviour when buying and selling players is set to be more dynamic, and new contract terms will be introduced. Manager Career will also allow you to create and share your own scenarios via Manager Live Creator Challenges, whilst Player Career will expand the rivalries. Ultimate Team, meanwhile, adds the FUT Gallery, branching Evolutions and new Single Player Live Events, which finally provide more seasonal content even for those who don’t want to spend every spare hour playing against players with teams worth the price of a used car.
What Will be Different from EA Sports FC 26?
• Automatic AI defender interventions will be significantly reduced.
• Manual defending will feature faster jockeying and more effective standing tackles.
• Through balls will better respect the direction specified by the player and will be less likely to automatically seek the ideal path.
• Crosses and corners have been overhauled and require greater manual control.
• Forwards make better use of space, and new types of manually triggered runs have been added.
• The all-new ‘The Grounds’ connects Clubs, small-sided football, activities and a social hub for up to 100 players.
• Career mode features a significantly revamped transfer system and its own Manager Live scenarios.
• FUT gets a Gallery, branching Evolutions and a greater emphasis on single-player Live Events.
NBA 2K27 – A Career Spanning History, and Finally with a Friend Too
• Release date: 4 September 2026 (Owners of the Deluxe and Ultra Editions can play from August 26)
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2
Whilst Connected Franchise is the main attraction in NHL 27 and The Grounds in EA Sports FC 27, NBA 2K27’s key selling point is clear – MyCAREER Eras. For the first time in the series’ history, your basketball career won’t be limited to the current NBA. You’ll be able to start in five different eras, from the Magic vs. Bird era in 1984, through the Jordan, Kobe and LeBron eras, right up to Steph’s era, which begins in 2016. Each era will feature period-specific squads, rules and presentation, so you can finally pit your own player against Jordan, Bryant and other legends right in their prime.
Those who stick around in the current era will get the new ‘Fire & Concrete’ story. It consists of eleven chapters and is set to be more than twice as long as the story in the current NBA 2K26. It begins whilst the player is still at secondary school, continues through the G League right up to the NBA, and will even include a stop at the legendary Rucker Park. This time, your performance will also affect your position in the draft, where you can climb as high as the number one pick or choose your own team. An even bigger new feature, however, is the first co-op MyCAREER mode in the series’ history. A friend can join your career directly and take control of your teammate Trace Miller, who is once again controlled by the AI in his absence.
Of course, the changes aren’t limited to the career mode. ProPLAY introduces more than 7,000 new animations; the offence is enhanced with new finishing moves, the Dynamic Layup Engine and more detailed dribbling customisation options, whilst the revamped Dunk Meter now assesses the defence throughout the player’s entire journey to the basket. The other side of the court has also seen significant changes, with 2K overhauling contest moves, hands-up defence, cutoffs and collisions with the ball.
Furthermore, the new Takeover system divides performance into five separate areas – shooting, finishing, playmaking, defence and rebounding – each of which builds up independently during the match. And as if that weren’t enough, ankle breakers will depend more on a player’s ability and the specific situation than on simply triggering a favourable animation.
NBA 2K27 also definitively leaves the previous generation behind and will not be released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One or the original Nintendo Switch. Visual Concepts can therefore focus exclusively on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Switch 2. Added to this are further changes across MyTEAM, MyNBA, The City and the MyPLAYER Builder, but from the perspective of the average player, the most significant features this year are the historical careers, co-op mode and the evolution of the basketball gameplay itself.
What Will be Different Compared to NBA 2K26?
• MyCAREER Eras let you kick-start your career across five different periods in NBA history.
• For the first time, MyCAREER supports co-op play with a friend.
• Fire & Concrete is set to be more than twice as long as last year’s story.
• Your position in the NBA draft is no longer fixed and may depend on your performance.
• ProPLAY adds more than 7,000 new animations.
• The Dunk Meter reacts dynamically to defence throughout the entire attempt.
• Physical defence, shot contests and the collision system have undergone a major overhaul.
• Takeover operates through five separate game modes.
• NBA 2K27 will no longer be released on PS4, Xbox One or Nintendo Switch.
Neither NHL 27, EA Sports FC 27 nor NBA 2K27, therefore, look like instalments that would be content merely with updated squads and a new number on the cover. Each of the three is attempting to take the series in a slightly different direction whilst also addressing the issues that plagued players in previous instalments. However, only the first few dozen hours on the ice, the pitch and the court will reveal whether Connected Franchise, The Grounds, the historical MyCAREER mode and dozens of smaller gameplay changes will be reason enough for another annual investment.
Be sure to check out the other sports games in our offer.
