NHL 15 News Post

NHL 15 Hasn't Updated Its Rosters Since September 3rd

05:55 PM - October 16, 2014 by RaychelSnr

The 2014-2015 NHL season is now a week old.

The NHL's only console videogame, Electronic Arts' NHL 15, currently features rosters that are six weeks old.

September 3 is the last time that NHL 15's rosters were updated, leaving many NHL teams with missing players, incorrect lines, wrong jersey numbers, unaccounted for injuries, and in the case of the St. Louis Blues, outdated uniforms.

Simply pick an NHL team, and you're bound to discover several significant inaccuracies in their NHL 15 lineup; for example:

Only centers John Tavares and Brock Nelson have put up more points for the 3-0 New York Islanders than defenseman Johnny Boychuk. But if you want to launch bombs from the point with Boychuk in NHL 15, you'll have to use his old team, the Boston Bruins, because their October 4 trade with the Islanders still isn't reflected.

The Nashville Predators' points leader, Filip Forsberg, remains stuck on the Predators' minor league affiliate (the Milwaukee Admirals), preventing him from being used in Online Versus Play.

Significant injuries to first-line players like Evander Kane, Pavel Datsyuk, and Mike Fisher don't show up in Online Versus Play, either.

On the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, NHL 15 has already received several gameplay tuners and two title updates, including one that even patched in an offline Playoff mode.

The popular Ultimate Team mode also continues to release special "Player of the Game" and "Team of the Week" cards on a regular basis, and offer one or two "Mega Pack" promotions per week.

Yet a basic roster update, which would entail trading a few players, signing some free agents, calling up the correct prospects, accounting for recent injuries, and setting the right lines, is still missing from NHL 15.

The official explanation from NHL 15 producer, Sean Ramjagsingh, is that a roster update "is being worked on," and that developers "had to wait for all the rookies to play a shift before we could put them in."

Even with those rookies' legal issues in mind, couldn't the hundreds of returning NHL veterans have been fixed for the league's opening week?

As of today, every NHL franchise has played between two to five games, leaving gamers wondering what the holdup is at this point.

Update: EA has officially responded with a tweet mentioning a roster update is coming soon.

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Member Comments

# 1 believeinnow @ 10/16/14 06:10 PM

Rumor has it that the roster update is going live tonight (after midnight Pacific) and it's game wide, not just NHL. We'll have updates on all the leagues, including the European ones. Yes, it kind of sucks that they had to wait a week, but Rammer's statement is correct, they have to wait for rookies to officially skate in a game in order to include them. If they split it up, then we've be complaining about why we have only half an update.

What we really should be focusing on is why they haven't made any mention of Dynamic Player Updates? That was a good feature last year, I wonder if that is still coming this year?

# 2 Millennium @ 10/16/14 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by believeinnow


	Rumor has it that the roster update is going live tonight (after midnight Pacific) and it's game wide, not just NHL. We'll have updates on all the leagues, including the European ones. Yes, it kind of sucks that they had to wait a week, but Rammer's statement is correct, they have to wait for rookies to officially skate in a game in order to include them. If they split it up, then we've be complaining about why we have only half an update. What we really should be focusing on is why they haven't made any mention of Dynamic Player Updates? That was a good feature last year, I wonder if that is still coming this year?

Just curious where you heard the rumor?

# 3 ericromain @ 10/16/14 07:06 PM

I understand the road block of needing rookies to have played a game,
but I wish the community managed the rosters and rating, it would allow for almost instantaneously up to date roster since the fan base would be pretty hard core about managing it, even the OHL & European rosters.
Give the feature a sort of wiki democratic format that would let upstanding members of the NHL gaming community manage.

They are currently paying a developer several hours a week to do a task that the gaming community would voluntarily do for free if they gave us the proper tools.

# 4 actionhank @ 10/16/14 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericromain


	I understand the road block of needing rookies to have played a game, but I wish the community managed the rosters and rating, it would allow for almost instantaneously up to date roster since the fan base would be pretty hard core about managing it, even the OHL & European rosters. Give the feature a sort of wiki democratic format that would let upstanding members of the NHL gaming community manage. They are currently paying a developer several hours a week to do a task that the gaming community would voluntarily do for free if they gave us the proper tools.

Not to mention actually do better.
The Revamped Rosters were years ahead of anything EA ever put out. They miss most things, and most of the lines are still based on overall ratings instead of who skates with who on a given day.

# 5 Lionhammer @ 10/16/14 09:15 PM

Wish they had LTIR though... still have to create ways to deal with Pronger.

# 6 brandon27 @ 10/16/14 10:43 PM

Isn't it pretty normal for EA to not have a roster update at this point previously in the series? I mean, typically one week into the season we didnt normally have a roster update by now that included the rooks. We at least may have had some other trades reflected, but... I dunno, the rookie players deal has always seemed to delay a season opening roster from what I recall.

# 7 stevendah @ 10/17/14 12:40 AM

I started a thread on this exact issue, and was told to "be a little more patient". I don't know how I could be after spending 80$ (taxes in Quebec, smh) and playing with unedited/uneditable rosters.

# 8 infernoisdead @ 10/17/14 03:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brandon27


	Isn't it pretty normal for EA to not have a roster update at this point previously in the series? I mean, typically one week into the season we didnt normally have a roster update by now that included the rooks. We at least may have had some other trades reflected, but... I dunno, the rookie players deal has always seemed to delay a season opening roster from what I recall.

I think you are correct. I recall rosters coming after game ten when the junior players have been decided on

# 9 snc237 @ 10/17/14 03:39 AM

Nhl series has been awful for updating rosters compared to other sports games. Every 2 weeks would be nice for roster updating. I'm not saying ratings changes every 2 weeks just general roster shuffles and such.

# 10 TjJunior @ 10/17/14 04:40 AM

Support for this game has been declining since four years ago. Improper face scans, skin tones (see Devante Smith-Pelly or Ryan Reaves, Trevor Daley as well) the series seems to be last on the list of priorities at EA sports, its a shame seeing as how it was one of the best titles they had on PS3/360 in my opinion. Not knocking NBA Live, but there is no way it should be getting more love than NHL.

# 11 Feldman011teen @ 10/17/14 05:38 AM

This is why this game shouldn't release until mid october, like it use to.

# 12 Tupac71 @ 10/17/14 08:48 AM

Does anyone know if a roster update would also update the goalie gear (there are way too many inaccuracies including wrong colors), or would it take a patch update to do that? Or better yet, allow us to edit the gear ourselves so at least then I dont have to delete my career.

# 13 kestrel @ 10/17/14 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMChrisS


	On the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, NHL 15* has already received several gameplay tuners and two title updates, including one that even patched in an offline Playoff mode.*

Since tuners were mentioned, I'm still only seeing 1.00 and Latest when I try to pick a tuner. Twice, I was told that a new tuner was downloaded, but I still only have those two options.

Now, I fear that the same thing will happen with rosters. That I will be told that a new roster was downloaded, but that when I go to pick a default roster, the only one I'll see is the September 3 roster.

I've seen no word from EA about tuners other than that there was a tuner released on September 19 (this link) and what's in it. There's no note to say what version it is or how to tell if you have it or how to force a download (I only discovered "a" way by going into HUT mode and backing back out) or why I've (we've?) been told twice (more?) that a tuner has been updated (and then why the only version listed is 1.00). Will they be as "transparent" with roster updates, too?

# 14 tessl @ 10/17/14 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMChrisS


	The 2014-2015 NHL season is now a week old. The NHL's only console videogame, Electronic Arts' NHL 15, currently features rosters that are six weeks old. September 3 is the last time that NHL 15's rosters were updated, leaving many NHL teams with missing players, incorrect lines, wrong jersey numbers, unaccounted for injuries, and in the case of the St. Louis Blues, outdated uniforms. Simply pick an NHL team, and you're bound to discover several significant inaccuracies in their NHL 15 lineup; for example: Only centers John Tavares and Brock Nelson have put up more points for the 3-0 New York Islanders than defenseman Johnny Boychuk. But if you want to launch bombs from the point with Boychuk in NHL 15, you'll have to use his old team, the Boston Bruins, because their October 4 trade with the Islanders still isn't reflected. The Nashville Predators' points leader, Filip Forsberg, remains stuck on the Predators' minor league affiliate (the Milwaukee Admirals), preventing him from being used in Online Versus Play. Significant injuries to first-line players like Evander Kane, Pavel Datsyuk, and Mike Fisher don't show up in Online Versus Play, either. On the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, NHL 15 has already received several gameplay tuners and two title updates, including one that even patched in an offline Playoff mode. The popular Ultimate Team mode also continues to release special "Player of the Game" and "Team of the Week" cards on a regular basis, and offer one or two "Mega Pack" promotions per week. Yet a basic roster update, which would entail trading a few players, signing some free agents, calling up the correct prospects, accounting for recent injuries, and setting the right lines, is still missing from NHL 15. The official explanation from NHL 15 producer, Sean Ramjagsingh, is that a roster update "is being worked on," and that developers "had to wait for all the rookies to play a shift before we could put them in." Even with those rookies' legal issues in mind, couldn't the hundreds of returning NHL veterans have been fixed for the league's opening week? As of today, every NHL franchise has played between two to five games, leaving gamers wondering what the holdup is at this point. Update: EA has officially responded with a tweet mentioning a roster update is coming soon.

I suspect it has something to do with the season starting only a week ago. MLB the Show didn't release their first roster update until April 7. The reason is because they can't use the name and likeness of a player until they are in the union. The game has a legal agreement with MLB and the union. If they used the name/image of a player who isn't in a union - see O'Bannon and what the lawsuit(s) have done to NCAA games.

I just bought the NHL game and I don't know it for sure but I suspect this is the case with NHL. They wait until the season starts and then it takes them a week or so to get an image, player attributes etc for the new players they have to add.

# 15 bigwill33 @ 10/17/14 01:59 PM

Hardly anyone needs to be added, the prospects are mostly in this game as EA has the rights to the Euro and Junior leagues. It is simply a matter of adding them to NHL teams in most cases. No re-rating, no updating pictures or cyber faces, and no new information is being added here. This is something that a non-EA employee could have probably done in about an hour or so, yet it is this way every year.

They could update the rosters after the first two days and most people would be happy. You would get all of the NHLPA guys in on their proper teams then as they are now part of the union. Then you could go back and update the roster as many times as needed over the course of the season... if you had a competent company with people who were able to meet deadlines working on your game.

Instead we get a few half-assed updates over the course of the season. Things with special teams units being completely wrong, or wrong-handed players, and players that have come back from injuries weeks ago still not being available for online play.

A roster update is the very least a company can do to keep their game "updated" and relevant. The EA NHL product has historically been amongst the worst in providing this to their "valued" consumers.

# 16 Hayman19 @ 10/17/14 03:23 PM

This game desperately needs a "Roster Vault" a la MLB The Show. Anyone who plays that game knows that the rosters the community edits are incredible and highly detailed.

They need to add this for next year and give us full control over player edits as well. Let us edit every single player and team in the different leagues and that would all but solve the roster issues. A better create a player than they have had in recent years is needed as well.

# 17 tessl @ 10/17/14 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigwill33


	Hardly anyone needs to be added, the prospects are mostly in this game as EA has the rights to the Euro and Junior leagues. It is simply a matter of adding them to NHL teams in most cases. No re-rating, no updating pictures or cyber faces, and no new information is being added here. This is something that a non-EA employee could have probably done in about an hour or so, yet it is this way every year. They could update the rosters after the first two days and most people would be happy. You would get all of the NHLPA guys in on their proper teams then as they are now part of the union. Then you could go back and update the roster as many times as needed over the course of the season... if you had a competent company with people who were able to meet deadlines working on your game. Instead we get a few half-assed updates over the course of the season. Things with special teams units being completely wrong, or wrong-handed players, and players that have come back from injuries weeks ago still not being available for online play. A roster update is the very least a company can do to keep their game "updated" and relevant. The EA NHL product has historically been amongst the worst in providing this to their "valued" consumers.

Again, I only recently purchased NHL 15 and am not familiar with this game, but I am very familiar with MLB the Show. They released their first live roster update April 7 - a week after opening day and a month after spring training begins. Players suspended or injured are not suspended or injured in their updates, they are available to play. Minor league players and foreign players with no MLB experience are not included in their rosters.

It seems to me you are being overly critical relative to what other popular sports games do with roster updates. First roster update seems to be about on the same schedule as MLB the Show and I suspect the Show has a larger development staff focused only on ps3/ps4 whereas NHL is developing the game for 4 platforms.

# 18 jcas007 @ 10/17/14 04:45 PM

Update would be nice so you can start gm mode with all the players on the right teams

# 19 bigwill33 @ 10/17/14 04:52 PM

So you tell me in one breath that you essentially have no idea what you are talking about with the NHL series, but then go on to explain to me how I am pretty much entirely wrong. Okay...

All that needs to be said is this; NHL 15 released on Sept. 9th. It is now Oct. 17. There has not been one roster update past the initial release rosters that were put out. And historically speaking, there have usually only been updates after the initial roster update to start the season and then maybe once around December or January, and then finally once more after the trade deadline.

I know Madden and The Show gets the updates weekly. If Ovechkin goes down tomorrow with a 2 week long injury (which is like 3-5 games) and that is included in this upcoming update, you may not get to play with Ovi in an online match until 2015!

Not to mention that by the time this update drops the lines will be half incorrect and the ratings are awful in general.

# 20 BCDX97 @ 10/17/14 05:25 PM

I edited the rosters myself to play offline, so it's no that big a deal to me.

Except that you can't change numbers (or captains) and some guys are skating around as #1 and it looks dumb as hell. This needs to be patched.

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