NHL 19 Open Beta Goes Live

Even though the official hockey season doesn’t kick off until fall, that doesn’t mean you have to wait to hit the ice during the summer months.

EA Sports has announced that it has launched an open beta for NHL 19 on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. With the beta, players can jump into The World of CHEL, a revision of the player-favorite Hockey League mode that introduces both progression and customization systems that have been nicely revamped. This will allow you to see what kind of crazy character you can create in-game and how well they fare against the opposition.

On top of that, players can also check out the newly added NHL ONES mode, along with THREES drop-in (for three-on-three arcade style play), EASHL drop-in, Clubs modes and Online Versus with all 31 NHL teams. So it really gives you access to a lot of stuff, along with an opportunity to check out the new gameplay features that make it easy for casual players to pick up and enjoy.

“With the progression and customization of The World of CHEL, NHL 19 provides gamers the freedom to create and compete as the player they’ve always wanted to be. In the beta, players can customize their skaters with 15 different traits and 21 different specializations, in addition to customizing their goalie with six traits and nine specializations. The beta will also feature hundreds of unlockable items like hoodies, jackets, parkas, and knits to create a unique look with league-inspired lifestyle gear and clothing,” EA noted in a press release for the beta.

It also noted one of the best features players can take for a test drive. “Real Player Motion (RPM) Tech also makes its debut in NHL 19 and beta players will have the opportunity to feel the most realistic skating experience in series history. Explosive-Edge skating enables more control, acceleration and creativity to keep pace in the high-speed nature of today’s NHL. Getting up and down the ice has never felt so responsive.”

The beta is going on right now and will continue through August 2, so you’ve got a full week to enjoy the hockey madness. You can download it right now for Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

EA Sports NHL 19 releases on September 14 for Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Still want to play it early after the beta? It’ll be accessible through EA Access on Xbox One starting September 6; and there is also a special Ultimate Edition and Legend Edition that lets you play it starting on September 11.