EA Sports Confirms Generative AI Voice Technology Used for Commentary in NHL 27

EA Sports has confirmed that it used generative artificial intelligence voice technology to expand commentary recordings for commentators John Buccigross and Darren Pang in NHL 27. The publisher addressed the topic in a recent update blog and patch notes for the game, defending the implementation following public discussion.

According to EA Sports, the broadcast team operates on an ongoing partnership with Buccigross and Pang. The company stated that the AI voice technology is used with the full consent and active collaboration of both commentators to expand upon more than 50 recording sessions they already completed. EA noted that this process aims to bring more variety to the game, react faster to league changes, and incorporate player feedback more quickly.

The confirmation follows comments made by John Buccigross during an appearance on the Chirping Zebras Podcast, where he discussed the technology. Commentary in NHL 27 has faced criticism from reviewers, who pointed to the broadcast lines as a low point in the overall experience and noted low energy in the delivery. Update 1 for NHL 27 introduced fixes for player name pronunciations and repetitive lines, with EA promising continued expansion of player and city name coverage in future updates.