EA Sports has provided an update on the status of NHL 21 today. Instead of the usual September release date, it will arrive sometime in October. This is due to “extraordinary circumstances” mainly transitioning from the workplace to home, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The team will use this time to continue polishing and fine tuning the game, as well as squashing those pesky bugs.
This transition has been very successful and we’re happy to say that the game is on track and feature-complete against our original vision, we just need a few extra weeks to do the polish, fine tuning and bug fixing. We know some of you will be disappointed by this news, but our goal with NHL 21 is to deliver an experience that will be worth the wait.
As for next-gen consoles, there won’t be a true PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X version, only forward compatibility.
For NHL 21, we made the decision to focus on adding innovation and new features rather than the resource-heavy task of porting the game to new console technology. You’ll still be able to play NHL 21 on the next-gen consoles through forward compatibility but we are fully focused on launching NHL 21 on the Xbox One and PS4 and look forward to the opportunities the next-gen systems will bring in the future.
As many of you recall, NHL 14 had a similar situation, as it skipped out on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions, only to miss a megaton of features, when NHL 15 finally arrived on the new consoles the following year.
How many features were missing on NHL 15’s Xbox One, PlayStation 4 debut you ask? Here’s a list.
Modes/Features
- No GM Connected
- No Online Team Play (when this is patched into the game later this year, it will use real NHL players and teams)
- No EA Sports Hockey League
- No EA Sports Arena
- No Online Shootouts
- No Live the Life
- No Be A Legend
- No Winter Classic
- No tournaments or Battle for the Cup
- No season mode (you can only play seasons in Be A GM, which is limited to NHL teams)
- No NHL 94 Anniversary mode
- No custom music support
- No create-a-play designer
- Cannot customize each team’s AI
- No create-a-team
- No way to edit individual players
- Practice mode is now limited to one skater vs. an AI goalie
Gameplay
- No custom camera option
- No Action Tracker replay highlights
- No Top 3 Stars at the end of games.
Be A GM
- Yearly draft is fully automated by the CPU
- Cannot play the AHL games for your chosen franchise
- Players sent down to the minors do not accumulate any season stats
- No fantasy draft option
- No preseason games
Be A Pro
- No option to sim ahead to the next shift
- You only play in the NHL; you cannot play for minor league teams
- The Memorial Cup tryout period is gone. You now begin by picking an NHL team, or by letting a random CPU team draft you.
- No All-Star game
Ultimate Team
- Cannot play against your friends
- No tournaments
- No mobile app
Some of the above items were patched in later in the season, but it left a very sour taste in the mouth of many fans. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen with NHL 22.
With that said, if you’re an NHL 20 HUT fan, the Chel team has placed some complementary HUT packs in the store and WOC bags in your inventory.
