NHL 22 Reveals Brand-New Gameplay Feature
When NHL 22 releases next month, the game will bring an all-new feature to the series: Superstar X-Factors. Similar to the idea that first debuted in Madden, Superstar X-Factors take some of the NHL's biggest stars and grant them abilities that make them stand out from the rest of the players on the ice. It's unclear exactly which players will have Superstar X-Factors, but Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid were both cited in EA's announcement of the feature on Xbox Wire. Superstars that have X-Factor abilities will also have one specific zone ability.
"X-Factors are fully integrated across game modes in NHL 22, in different ways that make the abilities shine and make a tangible difference on the ice. A specific group will get special upgradeable versions called Power-up player items in Ultimate Team; these items have a lower OVR (rating) than the usual items, but they can be upgraded to at least +1 of the base OVR. They can be upgraded to an even higher OVR throughout the season based on live content and unlock new abilities and options. Upgrade Power-up items in HUT with Coins or special Power-up collectable items," writes EA Sports' Spenser Davis.
It will be interesting to see the impact this change has on this year's game! The X-Factor concept is an interesting way to make hockey's greatest players stand out from the rest of the pack, and there are a lot of cool ways this could be integrated into NHL 22. Of course, there's bound to be some debate about which players qualify for Superstar status, and some strong opinions on which players get left out. Unfortunately, none of the actual X-Factor abilities were revealed in the announcement from EA, but with the game releasing in just a few weeks, it's likely that we'll see some more announcements in the lead-up to NHL 22.
NHL 22 is set to release October 15th on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
What do you think of this addition to NHL 22? Are you happy to see Superstar X-Factors added to this year's game? Let us know in the comments or share directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!