Sports commentator John Buccigross revealed that EA Sports is using generative AI to supplement commentary audio in NHL 27. He himself will be featured in the game, and EA has also used his voice to generate additional lines.
Buccigross discussed his experience collaborating with EA Sports on hockey games on the Chirping Zebras podcast. He mentioned that staff played him audio clips generated by generative AI, and he was surprised by the overall quality.
However, generated content may still contain wording errors. He cited an example where a synthesized commentary described fans standing up to celebrate as rising from "chairs," whereas hockey commentary typically uses the term "seats." He pointed out this issue on the spot.
Buccigross believes that such details still require manual review and correction, as wording in commentary is crucial. Staff need to manually input correct usage so that the adjusted system can select terms appropriate for the sports context in future generations.
According to his statements, generative AI is at least being used to expand the commentary lines in NHL 27. It remains unclear whether EA is also employing related technologies in other aspects of the game.
NHL 27 is scheduled to launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on September 11, 2026.