NHL 20: A Look Ahead

For fans of the NHL that love being able to take control of their favourite hockey players and take on other teams from the comfort of their homes, the annual release of Electronic Arts’ NHL game is always a highlight of the year. Each year comes with new features and all of the changes in team line ups, but some years yield more substantial changes than the others.

NHL 19, released on 14th September 2018, brought some major new additions to the game. Including the introduction of outdoor hockey, many new customisation options and a step up in the game’s graphics. Currently EA is keeping quiet on what it has in store for fans in NHL 20, but here is what we know so far.

Release Date

For the last 10 years, EA has released its NHL game somewhere between 10th and 15th September. It is therefore safe to assume that NHL 20 will be released around this time too, unless there is some sort of major strategy change. The game will likely be released worldwide, on the same day with versions for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Versions and Prices

Gone are the days when a game would be released with just one version, for a single price. Inline with many other releases, NHL 19 had three different versions that went on sale:

- Standard Edition (costing $59.99)
- Legend Edition (costing $79.99)
- Ultimate Edition (costing $99.99)

The more expensive versions provided early access to the game, and additional content. Although not confirmed, it is likely that EA will look to replicate such a structure in NHL 20 as the multiple versions were received positively.

Legends

NHL 19 saw the introduction of the “legendary players” thanks to EA’s deal with the NHL Alumni Association. Players such as Teemu Selanne, Patrick Roy and Wayne Gretzky were available for fans in both single and multi player gaming modes. Thanks to the positive reception this received, expect this to return in NHL 20.

 

Story Mode?

Like all previous games, NHL 20 will feature all of the NHL teams including the Boston Bruins, who according to Oddschecker are favourites to win the Stanley Cup. However, it has been rumoured that EA is planning to introduce a story mode feature, something that has been requested by many fans for years. Several other sports games now feature story and career modes, such as the Formula One games from Codemasters and EA’s FIFA games. Whilst not confirmed, the introduction of a story mode would be warmly welcomed by fans.

 

While little has been confirmed yet about NHL 20, looking at trends and previous releases, as well as the direction other sports games are taking, we can see how the game is likely to shape up.