I was lucky enough to attend a preview event earlier this week for NHL 27, and as with most yearly sports titles, I expect minor changes. I do feel that, over the years, the team over at EA SPORTS has done a decent job of listening to the community and delivering a major change each year.
Last year, they overhauled Be A Pro in NHL 26 after years of community requests, and this year, we see them introducing what is probably the most requested feature: Connected Franchise.
Connected Franchise
Connected Franchise isn’t exactly the GM Connected mode we have used many years ago, but it should scratch that social interaction itch the community has been asking for. I personally never played this mode before and wasn’t one of the many asking for it, but I applauded the team at EA for giving the community what they asked for in NHL 27.
With Connected Franchise, it will allow players to create, customize and manage a shared online league with up to 32 human-controlled teams. During the event, they stressed that it allows for flexible scheduling, but that remains to be seen, as I feel you will need a dedicated fanbase to stay engaged. The commissioner tools look to add a lot of depth to the mode and enable in-depth roster management, and I can see this being a streamer’s dream for interacting with their community.
The new feature in NHL 27 that they shared with us that I’m most excited about is the change to the arena experience. A couple of years ago, I did another one of these events but was able to sit down with Mike Inglehart, EA SPORTS NHL 27‘s Senior Game Design Director and I asked him if they where going to add more depth to the arenas and make them feel more alive as the EA team did when they brought back EA SPORTS College Football. he told me it was something they wanted to work in the future and I think we’re finally getting it.
Mike said that if they wanted to capture the feel of being in any of the 32 NHL arenas in NHL 27. As someone who has visited many rinks across the league, I can appreciate them doing this because it does feel different seeing a game at Boston Garden as opposed to Scotia Bank Center in Toronto. Every rink has its own feel, and the team at EA SPORTS promises you will get to experience it through the arena’s look, the unique sounds associated with that rink and team, and the pre-game presentations each team delivers across the league.
“Our goal for EA SPORTS NHL 27 is to deliver a game where players will feel the change the moment they take the ice,” said Mike Inglehart, EA SPORTS NHL 27′s Senior Game Design Director. “Every arena atmosphere and broadcast visual has been engineered to showcase a true-to-life team feel. We know the proof is in the playing, and we cannot wait for fans to experience this game’s energy for themselves.” This year’s cover athlete showcases a new generation of elite hockey talent focused on immediate impact. San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini brings his proven skill and dynamic playmaking to the cover, lending his skills to a franchise that is stepping up to prove its commitment directly on the ice. His presence reflects a defining new era for the game, one that answers the call of the community with features like Connected Franchise and grounds itself in true team identity.
The team over at EA SPORTS promises more news before the release of NHL 27 on September 11th, and to stay up to date, make sure to check out future articles here at Console Creatures.
