Deep Franchise Mode Options, Cross-Platform Matchmaking and Social Features Enhance the Most Customizable Hockey Experience Yet
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#easports–Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) delivers the most social Chel experience ever in EA SPORTS™ NHL® 23, now available worldwide. Powered by the Frostbite™ engine, NHL 23 truly shows how players are greater together with the introduction of women’s players to Hockey Ultimate Team, new levels of authenticity that include over 500 new last chance playmaking animations and deeper franchise mode customization available at launch, as well as cross-platform matchmaking coming to the game in November 2022. To celebrate launch, cover stars Trevor Zegras and Sarah Nurse, with Hilary Knight, Cabbie Richards and Paul “Biz” Bissonnette, will face off in 3v3 HUT match here.
“The NHL franchise has always prided itself on being one of the best team-based sports game experiences you can enjoy with friends, whether that friend is across the couch or the globe,” said Mike Inglehart, Creative Director, EA Vancouver. “This year, NHL 23 continues to bring fans closer together with cross-platform matchmaking and the expanded feature set highlighting women’s hockey.”
For the first time ever, IIHF Women’s National Team members can now play alongside men in the same HUT squad, meaning players can line up Team Canada’s Sarah Nurse alongside Ducks phenom Trevor Zegras to make their very own dream team of the sport’s best players. Beyond the ability to play together, both men’s and women’s national teams will continue to play an important role in the mode, as national team players will have both base and master items incorporated into HUT events. Players can now also compete in a variety of new rotating game themes in HUT Rivals, and NHL 23 has introduced three new tiers of HUT Rivals Rewards based on wins or win streaks.
NHL 23 is back on the Frostbite™ engine for the second year, continuing to push the franchise forward as the most authentic and immersive hockey experience yet. This latest iteration of the franchise introduces a fully interactive Stanley Cup Celebration where players will be able to choose who receives the Cup next as the crowd celebrates with sparklers and confetti and the commentary justifies your choice based on 65 complex stories accurate to your team. Additionally, a post-game sequence will also feature your customized player’s name etched into the Stanley Cup. NHL 23 has also revamped key moments like hat trick celebrations, giving them unprecedented levels of player customization and control, as well as overhauled levels of Crowd Awareness and Moment to Moment Reactions that will immerse players in the action like never before. NHL 23 represents a massive leap in terms of visual richness with enhanced character details, with a new skin shading model and crucial details like the accumulation of sweat that changes how light reflects throughout the game.
The addition of Last Chance Puck Movement gameplay animations injects excitement into important in-game moments, with more than 500 new Stumble Action animations, loose puck plays and enhanced goalie AI. Whereas contact in previous NHL installments often resulted in a loss of offensive player control, Last Chance Puck Movement brings EA SPORTS NHL closer to the reality of on-ice hockey plays by allowing players to authentically react to contact and still create dynamic plays in the moment.
Coming in November 2022, the introduction of cross-platform matchmaking will further strengthen NHL 23’s position as a best-in-class social experience. Cross-platform matchmaking will allow players to square off against opponents on the same console generation for World of Chel and HUT modes, creating larger player pools and shortening queue times to ensure players have more options to face off and spend less time waiting to take the ice. More information can be found here.
The fan-favorite Franchise Mode returns to NHL 23, now with deeper levels of customization than ever before for the most dedicated players to design a bespoke Chel experience. New customization options include adjustments to the numbers of teams, games played, divisions, conferences, playoff rounds, league salary cap and more.
EA SPORTS NHL continues to offer HUT content migration to ensure a smooth experience for players across console generations. Following 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.
Developed by EA Vancouver and EA Bucharest, EA SPORTS™ NHL® 23 is rated E10+, and now available on PlayStation®5 and Xbox Series X|S, as well as PlayStation®4 and Xbox One. Also available now, the EA SPORTS NHL 23 X-Factor Edition includes the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 or Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S versions of the game, 4600 NHL Points, five World of Chel X-Factor Zone Ability Unlocks, two Be A Pro X-Factor slot unlocks and XP Boost and Bonus Trait points. For more details, please visit https://www.ea.com/games/nhl/nhl-23.
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About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company develops and delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, mobile devices and personal computers.
In fiscal year 2022, EA posted GAAP net revenue of approximately $7 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality brands such as EA SPORTS™ FIFA, Battlefield™, Apex Legends™, The Sims™, Madden NFL, Need for Speed™, Titanfall™, Plants vs. Zombies™ and F1®. More information about EA is available at www.ea.com/news.
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About the NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL), founded in 1917, consists of 32 Member Clubs. Each team roster reflects the League’s international makeup with players from more than 20 countries represented, all vying for the most cherished and historic trophy in professional sports – the Stanley Cup. Every year, the NHL entertains more than 670 million fans in-arena and through its partners on national television and radio; more than 191 million followers – league, team and player accounts combined – across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube; and more than 100 million fans online at NHL.com. The League broadcasts games in more than 160 countries and territories through its rightsholders including ESPN, Turner Sports and NHL Network in the U.S.; Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada; Viaplay in the Nordic Region; and CCTV and Tencent in China; and reaches fans worldwide with games available to stream in every country. Fans are engaged across the League’s digital assets on mobile devices via the free NHL App; across nine social media platforms; on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio; and on NHL.com, available in nine languages and featuring unprecedented access to player and team statistics as well as every regular-season and playoff game box score dating back to the League’s inception, powered by SAP. NHL Original Productions and NHL Studios produce compelling original programming featuring unprecedented access to players, coaches and League and team personnel for distribution across the NHL’s social and digital platforms.
The NHL is committed to building healthy and vibrant communities using the sport of hockey to celebrate fans of every race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status. The NHL’s Hockey Is For Everyone initiative reinforces that the official policy of the sport is one of inclusion on the ice, in locker rooms, boardrooms and stands. The NHL is expanding access and opportunity for people of all backgrounds and abilities to play hockey, fostering more inclusive environments and growing the game through a greater diversity of participants. To date, the NHL has invested more than $100 million in youth hockey and grassroots programs, with a commitment to invest an additional $5 million for diversity and inclusion programs over the next year.
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About the National Hockey League Players’ Association
The National Hockey League Players’ Association established in 1967, is a labour organization whose members are the players in the National Hockey League. The NHLPA works on behalf of the players in varied disciplines such as labour relations, product licensing, marketing, international hockey, and community relations, all in furtherance of its efforts to promote its members and the game of hockey. In 1999, the NHLPA launched the Goals & Dreams fund as a way for the players to give something back to the game they love. Over the past 22 years, more than 80,000 deserving children in 34 countries have benefited from the players’ donations of hockey equipment. NHLPA Goals & Dreams has donated more than $26 million to grassroots hockey programs, making it the largest program of its kind. For more information on the NHLPA, please visit www.nhlpa.com.
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