NHL 22 Has Some Interesting Changes

The draft picks are over, my jersey is ready, hockey season is just around the corner, and that means an all-new NHL game, which has just been announced today! NHL 22 is an incredible looking addition to the Franchise and has been given the next-gen treatment via the Frostbite engine, which nobody can deny brings some breath-taking visuals. The Frostbite engine will bring every shaving of ice and every jersey stitch to life in stunning 4K. The new look for NHL 22 is seriously going to enhance the overall NHL experience, and for me will really bring to life the Leafs finally lifting the Stanley Cup.

In addition to the graphical improvements that are enhanced for the next-gen we will also be getting new gameplay aspects, including "Superstar X-Factors", which will elevate key players, such as the Toronto Maple Leafs' own Austin Matthews (coincidently the cover player once again) with a new layer of "Class-based play". Austin's class ability will be called "Shock and Awe" and allow this incredible Leaf's player to make some fascinating shots for the net. When I first read about this new game mode, my biggest fear was that it would be hidden behind microtransactions and only available in the HUT mode, based on what is included in the pre-order for the EA SPORTS NHL 22X-Factor Edition, which you can check out below.

"Up to 10 HUT Diamond Player Choice Packs, one HUT X-Factor Player Choice Pack, HUT X-Factor Power-Up Starter Pack, up to four HUT X-Factor Power-Up Packs, five World of Chel X-Factor Zone Ability Unlocks, five Unlocked Hockey Bags, two Be A Pro X-Factor Slot Unlocks and XP Boost and Bonus Trait Points. "

After reading this, I reached out to EA to confirm my suspicions, but it would seem I was only partially correct. Whilst the X-factor feature will be available in HUT, it will also be available in the Be A Pro game mode and the World of Chel. How this will translate across the various game modes will be revealed closer to the launch of NHL 22 (October 15th).

NHL 22 will release later this year on October 15th for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC, and we would love to hear what you have to say about NHL 22 and the new features. Do you share the same fears? Or are you just excited to get into the latest instalment with drastically improved graphics and all-new features for your favourite players? Let us know your thoughts on Facebook and Twitter by commenting on this article's post or joining our Discord, which you can get your invite for here on the 3Bit homepage.