Electronic Arts today announced that NHL 21, the latest and greatest iteration of its hockey game franchise, will officially release for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on October 16th. The video game had previously been delayed from its typical September launch window to October, and the next-gen versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X still appear to not be happening at the moment. It was also announced today that Stanley Cup winner Alex Ovechkin will feature as the cover athlete for the second time.
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“”It’s a huge honor to be on the cover of NHL 21 for the second cover in my career,” said Ovechkin as part of the announcement. “More importantly, I’m glad I’m looking just as good on the cover this year as I did in 2007!!!” You can check out the cover for NHL 21 below:
Recognize Greatness with #NHL21 available worldwide October 16th 🏒🎮
Pre-order now 👉 https://t.co/Jw6GQdvPOZ pic.twitter.com/FKCoVdDEJH
— EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) August 24, 2020
Recognize Greatness with The Great Eight himself 🏒🔥 @ovi8 is your #NHL21 global cover athlete! 💪 pic.twitter.com/OdToWCZU0O
— EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) August 24, 2020
NHL 21 also includes a reworked Be A Pro mode, among other features, that allows players to experience the game on and off the ice. Specifically mentioned is the ability to “impress the front office, go early on draft day, and chase greatness as players earn a spot on the first line, compete for the Stanley Cup, and become the league’s next best.”
As noted above, NHL 21 is set to release for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on October 16th. EA Play members will be “among the first to interact with new features” the week prior on October 9th. You can check out all of our previous coverage of NHL 21 right here.
What do you think about what we have heard about NHL 21 so far? Are you bummed that there currently appears to be no plans for an Xbox Series X or PS5 version? Let us know in the comments, or hit me up directly on Twitter at @rollinbishop to talk all things gaming!
