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If you have to make this change in the middle of the season why wont you ban all elite abilities then to make it fair? There is absolutely no point just banning certain abilities. Elite stick em up is also a pay to win perk? Elite backhand is very broken. Elite sponge the same. You can make a glitch goal with elite backhand shooting from the boards. Goalie goes to some weird animation.. So while your at it. Ban all the elite perks from skaters and goalies!

Wtf? 👎👎👎 new bans midseason is ridiculous

Thanks for the feedback Everyone. League Administration genuinely thought we were doing a good thing by this approach, but it turns out we were wrong. This most recent decision will be rolled back and no new bans will be put in place for this Winter season. Regarding the timing, we didn’t know the timing of the WOC seasons when scheduling the ECL originally. When the new season started this week, we were a bit surprised by EA’s approach and decided to make a quick decision. But as we’ve now learned, it was the wrong one. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your swift and honest feedback. As we said in the original news story, the plan is to move away from Abilities for the Spring season, as that seems to be what the majority is asking for.

No ban on Sponge? Aight 🤣

Mid-season bans 😎

100%. By this same logic there are Elite perks from season 1 (like Stick Em Up for example) that are/were also ”locked behind a paywall” if you didn’t grind the Battle Pass for them.

"Second Wing"

I’m confused about the community response. Having to pay 40€ for abilities is insane.

not banning sponge xddddd is this a joke

👎👎👎

I have never seen in any other competitive gaming before where you can get clear edge with "pay-to-win". It's ridiculous that those are not banned and that this is allowed. It make unfair competition situation and everyone is not in same line. "But you could get them for free" No, even then you just had to pay, not with your money, but just with your time. For me it not matter that much, I don't care enough and can play without abilities also. The point is that this is not how competitive gaming should work. And I prefer just for fair competitive environment for everyone, which is what this should be.

Everyone had over two months to unlock these X-factors in the game. So let us not pretend that you had to buy all the X-factors. But as someone else wrote: Just ban everything that is Elite if something really has to be banned a few hours before some teams start their playoffs. Everyone had over two months to unlock these X-factors in the game. So let us not pretend that you had to buy all the X-factors. But as someone else wrote: Just ban everything that is Elite if something really has to be banned a few hours before some teams start their playoffs. Forgot to Quote Antti

This time at least they did not write that they "listened to the community" and turn it into a lie. Now they just did what they wanted without asking anyone. You have to give them that. This was the most honest post in years!

vart är sponge ban då?

Late and inconsistent decisions really weaken trust in the organisation and how decisions are made. I really hope for transparent communication about any changes for the next tournament, and that those are communicated well in advance. These kinds of communication issues make me at least question whether I even want to pay for and participate in future tournaments.

I do agree that everything locked behind a paywall should be banned, whether it’s S1 or S2 items. I was under the impression S1 items were granted to everyone after the season ended. Items locked behind a paywall are pay-to-win in the very definition of the term. If someone starts the game now, they must pay to get access to the items. Anything other than cosmetic items should never be locked behind a paywall, progression or battle passes. I also agree with Anton that if the same system is in place in NHL 27, all tournaments should be ran with no abilities.

The reactions are probably because nobody asked for this, but it’s happening anyway. If they had listened to the community, they would have banned everything before the season started. People have adapted their playstyles based on perks. There are even teams that actively “hunt” X-factors to trigger during their attacks. I also think it’s reasonable that some things get removed. I recently played another tournament without them and it was actually pretty fun. But there is no valid argument that it’s “pay-to-win”, because everyone could get these things for free. And there are still items in the game right now that were on the Season Pass in Season 1 as well. And I remember, for example, Furyan saying “make the choices before the season starts”, and those choices were made. But now they are changing things right before playoffs start, and it affects teams. It’s honestly pretty clumsy.

Amateur hour. Releasing this update two hours before playoffs starts... fck me sideways, cause I paid the other day for the quick pick trait. Back to black... truly a game changer.

u cant ban before a playoff wtf is this?

Yeah even these selections are not making any sense. If i remember correctly, season 1 battle pass abilities were Stick em Up, Sponge, Post to Post maybe something else also(?) And like Svamp said above, AGAIN doing decisions without asking any opinions from community. And especially this timing?? LA knew since release of NHL 26 that there is abilities behind paywall/grind, so they could do this before season? No... Midway of the regular season? No... 1-2h before teams start their playoffs. 💀

Just ban elite sponge also then ffs, simple as that...

Why are you flipping the argument the wrong way? Why should everyone who actually put time and effort into the game and their season be punished just because you did not? I have not seen anyone complain that another player has Elite Quick Pick just because they do not have it themselves. If you really wanted it, you had the same chance to unlock it as everyone else. If players did not care about getting it during the whole regular season, why should it suddenly become unfair now only because the “lazy” player now wants to be “smart”? If you want it now, you can buy it. If you wanted it before, you could get it for free.

Big fail from gamer to ban something mid season and 90 mins before we start playoffs 👎

That's an awful decision

#Kummeli

Allowing perks that not everyone can use (playing only private games/do have a Job) or paying this company 10€ for them is peak comedy

Bra beslut

Ban elite sponge also, it was behind the pay wall

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So we nerfing me 😭😱😕