EA Sports' NHL 26 Deluxe Edition Reveal Sparks Fan Backlash and Talk of Boycott

Earlier this week, it was announced that Matthew Tkachuk would be the cover athlete for NHL 26, joining players like Cale Makar, Auston Matthews and Jack Hughes to recently appear on the cover.

Most fans dislike Tkachuk, but overall didn't have the biggest issue with the decision, but now, EA Sports have revealed the deluxe edition cover, and it's safe to say that fans aren't quite as accepting of this one.

As fans of the game have seen for years, EA Sports often make minimal additions to the game, with Madden, NBA2K and FIFA all facing similar criticisms as EA's reputation continues to fall.

However, the biggest backlash may have come for the choice of NHL cover, as Brady Tkachuk joins his iconic father and his superstar brother on the cover, with many noting that he's simply there to join them, and not deserving of the moment.

More likely than not, the fans that were going to buy this game are still going to buy it, but for hockey fans that are simply focused on the cover, there is plenty of frustration for Brady to get this opportunity when there are so many more deserving players out there.

Ultimately, the cover of a video game won't be the biggest deal for players around the league, as most likely won't even pay attention to who gets the cover, but this combined with the lack of upgrades and improvements shown in the trailer, EA Sports risk tanking their reputation further.