NHL 21 revealed that its cover athlete is none other than Stanley Cup winner Alex Ovechkin. This is the second time that Ovechkin has been on the cover, and it’s not a surprise considering that he remains to be one of hockey’s most influential and impactful players. In addition, he was also the inspiration for the development team as they mapped the game’s innovation compared to the game-changing impact Ovechkin has had on the sport itself.
In a press release by EA, Ovechkin said that it was an honor to be on the second cover in his career and that he’s happy he looks “just as good on the cover this year as I did in 2007.”
One change players can expect with NHL 21 is the overhauled Be A Pro mode. This new experience improves the narrative of the game and quality of life by giving players the chance to live the life of an NHL start not just on the ice, but even off it. Players can start from being a bottom six forward and work their way to being the superstar that everyone is excited to see.
Talking about this change, NHL 21 Executive Producer Sean Ramjagsingh said in the same statement released to the press that the community has long been asking for a better Be A Pro experience that allows players to be in the same spotlight as their favorite stars. He added that the gameplay legacy of Ovechkin, on and off the ice, has helped the team “bring the next generation of EA Sports NHL gameplay to life with NHL 21.”
It’s not just about this improved mode, as the overall gameplay is also smarter, faster, and flashier, especially with innovative moves and massive improvements. There are now more options that ever for players to take control of the game. There’s also an improvement to HUT, the mode which lets players come up with their own fantasy lineups. In particular, one major change is HUT RUSH, which is a streamlined version of HUT. This allows players to immediately jump into HUT games quick and rank up achievements.
The Franchise Mode has also been made more exciting with the Trade Deadline. Like with real life, the market of players is going to change as the season goes on. Live trade alerts are also going to move rapidly through the trade deadline ticker.
NHL 21 is set to be released on October 16 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Pre-orders for NHL 21 are available now, including the Standard Edition, Deluxe Edition, and Great Eight Edition.
