NHL 27 to Use AI Voiceovers for Commentators, Says John Buccigross

John Buccigross Discusses AI Voice Generation in NHL 27

Buccigross confirmed that he will feature as a commentator in the upcoming hockey title, but noted that electronic arts supplemented human recording sessions with synthetic speech. “They’re using some AI now; they played me some stuff back of my voice,” Buccigross said on the podcast. “It’s like ‘Wow, that’s pretty good!’ If that means less work but the same check, I’ll take it.”

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The veteran broadcaster highlighted early quality control hurdles during the production process. According to Buccigross, developers unfamiliar with hockey vernacular generated lines that used incorrect terminology. “One of the guys was playing it back, and a lot of these guys maybe aren’t hardcore sports fans; they’re video game extraordinaires. They’re not always up on the vernacular,” Buccigross stated. He described hearing a synthesized line exclaim, “Score! And the crowd gets out of their chairs!” which prompted him to correct the staff: “No, they’re not chairs. They look like chairs, but we call them seats.”

Buccigross emphasized that minor linguistic nuances require manual adjustments from human supervisors. You have to manually put that in,” he noted.

Industry Adoption and Platform Disclaimers

Generative artificial intelligence tools are seeing broader integration across the interactive entertainment sector, though the shift frequently draws pushback from players. Last year, Activision faced community criticism for deploying AI-generated cosmetic assets like calling cards in Call of Duty.

Electronic Arts has expanded artificial intelligence adoption across several major sports franchises this year. Steam store pages for College Football, Madden, and FC feature official developer labels notifying consumers about the use of generative tools during production. Because NHL 27 is not distributed on Steam, its storefront page lacks a comparable developer disclaimer.

IGN reached out to Electronic Arts for comment regarding the scope of artificial intelligence utilization in NHL 27 and whether the technology impacts aspects of the game beyond commentary audio.

Release Details and Critical Reception

NHL 27 launches for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on September 11, 2026. IGN awarded the game a 6/10 rating, reporting that while the title remains enjoyable, it delivers minimal mechanical advancement over its predecessor.

“The satisfaction of delivering a bone-crushing hit or snapping a wrist shot past a goaltender is just as effective as ever, and tiny tweaks to stuff like stadiums and music continue to add authenticity in small doses – but there are no illusions that anything truly substantial has changed this year.”

Frequently Asked Questions

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