This fall, NHL 22 will introduce a new generation of consoles to its interactive take on hockey, and will do so using a new engine. Yes, all of our pleas were finally answered, as the folks at EA Sports Canada have decided to switch to the Frostbite Engine, which has been powering Madden and FIFA for a couple of years or so.
Once again, Toronto Maple Leafs star, Auston Matthews, will grace the game’s cover. This marks the California-born and Arizona-raised superstar’s second appearance on the series’ key art, as he was also chosen to grace NHL 20. Then again, much like Alex Ovechkin, who’s appeared multiple times, Matthews is one of the sport’s most marketable stars. On top of that he’s also American, which should help sell the title in the United States.
According to its bullet points and press release, NHL 22 will take a generational leap forward, thanks to both the Frostbite Engine and new Superstar X-Factors, improved stick physics, more realistic player expressions and other improvements.
For more information on these upgrades and additions check out the following bullet points, all of which we stole from the most recent presser:
- Superstar X-Factors – The NHL 22 Official Gameplay Trailer showcases the X-Factor abilities, both what they do and how they influence the game. This unique ability system elevates the most elite players in the league making their presence on ice more influential than ever.To view and learn more about all of the Superstar X-Factor abilities in NHL 22, you can visit the website here.
- Frostbite Engine – Frostbite has visually upgraded the entire on-ice experience by improving the fidelity of environments, player details and lighting effects across the board. The Frostbite engine is allowing the development team to make EA SPORTS NHL 22 the first true next-generation hockey experience.
- Featured Gameplay Improvements Including:
- Augmented Reality Broadcast: All new augmented reality-like visual design seamlessly integrates game stats directly into the action through overlays on environment surfaces.
- Player Facial Expressions: players are more lifelike than ever with detailed eye movement and tracking and facial expressions that react to the changing environment and events around them.
- Stick Physics: new physically-true stick interactions mean more realistic movement along the boards without sticks poking through geometry, more accurate penalty calls from stick-on-body contact and battles for the puck that are fair and based on skill.
- Skill Moves & Environments: new moves and environments will shine with amazing detail thanks to Frostbite.
NHL 22 will be released on October 15th, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.