The NHL season is fast approaching, and with it comes the release of NHL 23, EA SPORTS’ annual ice-hockey franchise. Here’s everything we know about the game so far including release date, features, cover star, and more.
NHL is a sports-gaming franchise that’s been dragging through the mud over the last few years. We scored 2022’s iteration of the game a 6/10, citing the need for massive changes to turn the series around.
With NHL 23, EA is looking to exactly do that, planning major changes in need of a pick-me-up.
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NHL 23: Release date
NHL 23 has a release date set for October 14, 2022. This release date falls in line with previous NHL titles, which are released around the same time the actual NHL season typically kicks off.
NHL 23: Cover stars
The Anaheim Ducks’ forward Trevor Zegras and Team Canada’s Sarah Nurse will don the cover of NHL 23 in the game’s first duo male and female athlete cover.
Zegras is an American-born center and Rookie of the Year runner-up in 2021, and Nurse is a forward for the Canadian Olympic team where she was a gold medalist in 2020 and 2021.
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The cover of the game has a different style than in years past, with a focus on California’s beauty and palm trees, and the emphatic decision to put Zegras in shorts.
NHL 23: Features
For the first time ever, NHL is adding women hockey players to its mega-popular Hockey Ultimate Team mode.
NHL 23 will have cross-play for the first time ever, however, there’s a catch. PlayStation 4 players will be locked into playing with Xbox One players, and PlayStation 5 players can only play with Xbox Series players. It isn’t exactly the fully realize the cross-play dream, however, it is a step in the right direction.
The upcoming hockey sim will also be revamping its Franchise mode, in line with what Madden 23 delivered this year. Not much information has been revealed as to what exactly will change, however.
Your #NHL23 Calendar 🗓Kicking it off with the official Gameplay Trailer on Tuesday 👀 Subscribe and stay tuned for all our upcoming trailers and videos 📺➡️ https://t.co/OOFFBbmT7b pic.twitter.com/iywd7WkCQZ
— EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) August 27, 2022
EA SPORTS has revealed the schedule for what news will drop leading up to the game’s official launch. Stay tuned here for more info as it comes along.