Electronic Arts announced an October 14 release date for NHL 23. On this date, the game will arrive on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. There is, sadly, still no PC release for the franchise.
This year, EA says that NHL 23 will place a greater focus on "social play never before seen in the franchise." This simply means that there will now be cross-platform matchmaking included in the game. However, this cross-platform matchmaking won't be added until November 2022. You will only play against those in the same console generation though. This is also limited to the World of Chel and Hockey Ultimate Team (HUT) modes.
NHL 23 will once again be powered by the Frostbite engine. This year's release includes "over 500 new last chance playmaking animations, living arenas and atmosphere, deep franchise-mode customization and new ways to play HUT." These new ways to play Hockey Ultimate Team include the addition of IIHF Women's National Teams. This will allow the best women and men players in the world to compete in one lineup.
This year's cover athletes for NHL 23 are Trevor Zegras from the Anaheim Ducks and Sarah Nurse, a Canadian professional hockey player and women's national team member.
Franchise Mode returns to NHL 23 with unprecedented levels of league customization, bringing an all-new level of versatility to the game, including adjustments to the numbers of teams, games played, divisions, conferences, playoff rounds, league salary cap and more.
EA SPORTS NHL is continuing to offer HUT content migration to ensure a smooth experience for players across console generations. Following a November update, players who start playing NHL 23 on PlayStation®4 or Xbox One will be able to transfer their HUT Team value and progress to the next generation of their respective platforms in PlayStation®5 or Xbox Series X|S.
Fans that pre-order NHL 23 will get a variety of bonus in-game content. The EA SPORTS NHL 23X-Factor Edition includes the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 or Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S versions of the game, three days of early access, 4600 NHL Points, one HUT X-Factor Player Choice Pack, HUT X-Factor Power-Up Starter Pack, X-Factor Women’s HUT Choice Pack, five World of Chel X-Factor Zone Ability Unlocks, two Be A Pro X-Factor Slot Unlocks and XP Boost and Bonus Trait Points, and a signed Sarah Nurse World of Chel Jersey. All pre-order editions and information can be found here.
EA SPORTS NHL is continuing to offer HUT content migration to ensure a smooth experience for players across console generations. Following a November update, players who start playing NHL 23 on PlayStation®4 or Xbox One will be able to transfer their HUT Team value and progress to the next generation of their respective platforms in PlayStation®5 or Xbox Series X|S.
Fans that pre-order NHL 23 will get a variety of bonus in-game content. The EA SPORTS NHL 23X-Factor Edition includes the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 or Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S versions of the game, three days of early access, 4600 NHL Points, one HUT X-Factor Player Choice Pack, HUT X-Factor Power-Up Starter Pack, X-Factor Women’s HUT Choice Pack, five World of Chel X-Factor Zone Ability Unlocks, two Be A Pro X-Factor Slot Unlocks and XP Boost and Bonus Trait Points, and a signed Sarah Nurse World of Chel Jersey. All pre-order editions and information can be found here.