EA has announced that NHL 18 is releasing worldwide on September 15 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, with Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid on the cover. By pre-ordering the Young Stars Edition or Young Stars Deluxe Edition, you’ll receive three days early access to the full game on September 12 and some digital Connor McDavid content.
Prior to launch, an NHL 18 beta will begin on July 25, offering these three modes: NHL Threes, EA Sports Hockey League, and Online Vs. You can sign up for the beta over here.
Here’s what to expect from NHL 18, including the new Defensive Skill stick, the new 3-on-3 NHL Threes mode, the Expansion Draft feature in Franchise Mode, and more:
New Creative Attack skill moves give players the control to execute jaw-dropping plays. On offense, creative dekes include between-the-legs moves, one-handed dekes, back-handed toe-drags and much more – like the ability to branch moves together for moment-to-moment decision making. On defense, the new Defensive Skill Stick delivers the tools to counter attacks with poke check targeting, extended pokes, and controlled stick sweeps to cover zones of the ice and take away lanes. New Creative A.I. systems mean teammates now leverage the same tools as the player for intelligent decision-making all over the ice, including board passes and through-passing into space.
NHL 18 introduces 3-on-3 hockey in two bold new ways. First, NHL Threes is an arcade-inspired experience with fast-paced, over-the-top action that features faster gameplay, bigger hits, and high-scoring action. Players can choose modes between fast-fun couch co-op and fully competitive online team play, or dive into the new NHL Threes circuit-style Campaign Mode to compete against different teams and leagues in a circuit-style journey where they can unlock objective-based rewards as they progress through the campaign. Second, NHL 18 adds an authentic 3-on-3 online team play option to the fan-favorite EA Sports Hockey League mode, allowing for more open ice and strategic, risk-vs-reward multiplayer competition.
Additional features include the new Expansion Draft coming to Franchise Mode, Hockey Ultimate Team Solo Challenges, and a new Hockey Training Camp designed to ensure players have immediate success on the ice, and much more. NHL 18 is also making it easier than ever to play with or against friends, creating more than 64 ways to team up and play on the couch or online, and bringing co-op play to more modes including Hockey Ultimate Team, Online Vs. and NHL Threes.
Lead Producer Sean Ramjagsingh said, “NHL 18 is all about capturing everything that’s great about the new NHL. Creative Attack controls let our players show off all the skill and highlight-reel moves they can imagine, while NHL Threes brings the speed and excitement of 3-on-3 hockey to the game.”
[Source: EA Sports]
