Trevor Zegras and Sarah Nurse, who appear on the game’s cover, were also revealed by EA Sports. NHL 23 has also received a release date, a gameplay trailer, and information on its new features.
On October 14, NHL 23 will be made available on Xbox and PlayStation platforms, and in a first for the franchise, certain of its modes will support cross-platform matchmaking. The Hockey Ultimate Team and World of Chel modes are the only ones that will support cross-platform matchmaking when it launches in November.
Clappy, the NHL 23 community manager, shared the news about crossplay and what it means for the game. “For the first time in franchise history, Xbox and PlayStation players will be able to play against each other in NHL 23,” Clappy said.
There are 500 more “last-chance” animations in NHL 23 as well. Players can make desperate plays like shooting and passing from their knees after they fall on the ice. This is an attempt to inject the game with exciting, highlight-reel goals. To that end, NHL 23 now includes the “Zegras flip.” As Zegras did in the previous season, this will enable players to alley-oop the puck to a player in front of the goal.
The 350 new save animations have also improved and improved the AI goalies, allowing them to make desperate saves.
Members of the IIHF Women’s Nation Team can now compete against males in Hockey Ultimate Team. However, EA stated at a presentation that GameSpot attended that fighting between male and female hockey players is not permitted.
NHL 23 uses the Frostbite engine and offers changes to the franchise mode to allow players more influence over running a team. It also promises more realistic, reactive audiences who boo away players and get rowdy during odd-man rushes. The cosmetic upgrades include new skin animations that draw attention to flaws and new accessories like gold helmets and mirrored visors. As games progress, the ice will develop more realistic-looking scratches, and buildup of ice will accumulate in corners. Ice spray will also make marks on the boards just like it would in real life.
This year’s game includes new X-Factor powers in addition to the ones from the previous year, such as “Skilled Up,” which is intended to highlight Zegras’ extraordinary playmaking ability.
Additionally, NHL 23 will not have any Russian or Belarusian teams owing to the conflict in Ukraine, according to developers at EA. To reflect the real-world disaster of what is happening with their home ice condition, the Arizona Coyotes will play in a smaller venue.
