TheNHLgames are the leading hockey titles on the market and as a result, a lot of fans have been looking forward toNHL 21. The game is developed by Electronic Arts, and this usually means thattheNHLgames have annual releaseswith the support of a big publisher. However, it now seems that the franchise is facing delays as well as some interesting decisions about how it approaches the next generation of consoles.
The ice hockey franchise allows players to build dream teams and take to the ice and perform impressive plays.TheNHLgames also feature fun contentthat adds to the experience even if it does not contribute to realism. Due to these factors, many players were looking forward to the next iteration of the series this September but it seems that there has been a delay in making the game and there will be another month for players to wait.
RELATED:NHL 20 Selects Team of the Year
The team working on the game released a statement addressing the delay, “NHL 21will launch a little later this year, shifting from our usual September window to October.” The team attributed this to the “extraordinary circumstances” that they and the world have faced. Many will sympathize with this reasoning, as manygame companies have struggled to maintain release datesdue to the coronavirus pandemic and the impact it has had on every element of life. However, the delays that the team has faced may be significant as the statement detailed plans for the next generation of consoles.
The game will be optimized for a launch on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One rather than the next generation of consoles. This is said to be in an effort to deliver the best possible game for this generation and a next-gen version of this game has not been ruled out. In fact, the game seems to be followingElectronic Arts' free upgrade policy, although it is unclear when players will be able to redeem this handy feature.
It will be interesting to see what fans make of this update as some may be frustrated at the delays and uncertainty about a next-gen release. However, it seems that the team behind theNHLgames is doing all that it can to deliver a satisfying game even if that means compromising release dates because of the global pandemic.
NHL 21is set to arrive in October 2020 for PS4 and Xbox One.
