Trevor Zegras
EA’s NHL series is back on October 14 for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The latest version will have two cover athletes: flashy Anaheim Ducks star Trevor Zegras and Canadian professional hockey and women’s national team member Sarah Nurse. The latter is the first woman to grace the cover of the NHL series.
Sarah Nurse
“It is such a tremendous honor to be the first woman on the cover of EA Sports NHL franchise,” said Sarah Nurse of Team Canada via a press release provided by EA. “Hockey is really for everybody and I’m excited about that NHL 23 is celebrating the diversity and inclusivity of the sport. I hope that the increased representation of women in such a prominent game will inspire young girls everywhere to know that there is a place for them in hockey.”
Zegras expressed similar gratitude for the honor.
“As someone who has played EA Sports NHL since I was a kid, it is a dream come true to be on the cover this year with Sarah,” said Trevor Zegras of the Anaheim Ducks. “I can’t wait to play this year’s version with my friends and teammates, and I am equally excited to see fans unleash my Michigan flip pass, which the team at EA SPORTS has managed to get into the game.”
Here is a look at the cover:
Zegras and Nurse
There are a few focus areas for NHL 23 which cover a few different aspects of the game’s feature set.
Cross-Platform Matchmaking
Arguably the biggest feature being added to the NHL series is cross-platform matchmaking. It won’t be available when the game launches on October 14, but is scheduled to arrive in November, per EA’s press release.
This addition won’t just extend the connectivity between the segmented player base, it could also play an integral role in growing the NHL series’ potential eSports presence. CPM will exist in World of CHEL and in Hockey Ultimate Team.
Frostbite Returns
Although not universally loved throughout the NHL community, the Frostbite engine is again the tech that powers gameplay and environments in NHL 23. EA promises new animations, including more than 500 related to “last-chance playmaking,” living arenas and atmosphere.
There are tons of new stumble animations designed to add the more realistic scramble to contested plays during a game.
The NHL series has done arguably the best job at creating in-arena environments that totally capture the feel of a high-intensity playoff contest, although some of the vibes that should be transferred in a regular-season game in franchise mode have been a little lacking.
That’s an area I’ll be looking at when playing through franchise mode this year. The NHL series is firmly planted in my franchise-mode gaming plans for the next 8-10 months.
More Customization in Franchise Mode
EA is offering what is being described as deeper “franchise-mode customization” this year. In this year’s game, users can adjust the number of teams in the league, games played, divisions, conferences, playoff rounds, league salary cap and more.
We need a bit of hands-on to test some of the limits one may overlook during an overview, but there will definitely be more available for virtual commissioners.
HUT Expansions
The biggest addition to HUT is the inclusion of IIHF Women’s National Team members. In NHL 23, players like Nurse can be added to HUT lineups to compete against and alongside the men’s cards. There will be no downgraded attributes for the women’s cards. A 99-overall rated card for an IIHF female player will be equal to an NHL player who is rated similarly. EA is breaking new ground with the inclusion of women in their collector mode. No other sports video game series has allowed female characters to compete with men. It will be interesting to see if other series follow EA’s lead.
Secondly, HUT Rivals have three additional tiers added for more rewards based on wins or win streaks.
Finally, HUT will again offer HUT content migration across console generations. After a November update, players who start playing NHL 23 on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One will be able to transfer their HUT Team value and progress to the next generation of their respective platforms in PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S.
Pre-Order Details
Here is a look at what pre-order customers will receive with each of the editions of NHL 23:
Three days of early access with subscription to EA Play
Three days of early access, 4600 NHL Points, one HUT X-Factor Player Choice Pack, HUT X-Factor Power-Up Starter Pack, X-Factor Women’s HUT Choice Pack, five World of Chel X-Factor Zone Ability Unlocks, two Be A Pro X-Factor Slot Unlocks and XP Boost and Bonus Trait Points, and a signed Sarah Nurse World of Chel Jersey.
You can see all of the pre-order details here.
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