- EA Sports revealed NHL 27 with a new Connected Franchise mode for up to 32 online teams
- Macklin Celebrini headlines the cover as the youngest athlete in franchise history
- Read below for the full feature list, commentary team and the Sept. 11 release date
EA Sports pulled the wraps off NHL 27 on Wednesday, and the headliner is a mode fans have been begging for.
The new “Connected Franchise” mode lets players build and run a shared online league with up to 32 human-controlled teams. It comes with flexible scheduling, full roster management and commissioner tools, and it marks the first time since NHL 14 that you can run a franchise alongside your friends.
Here’s the reveal from EA:
The presentation got a heavy overhaul too. All 32 arenas are recreated with real pre-game entrances, goal songs and rebuilt crowds. John Buccigross and Darren Pang handle the commentary this year.
Senior game design director Mike Inglehart talked about the goal behind the changes in a press release.
“Our goal for EA SPORTS NHL 27 is to deliver a game where players will feel the change the moment they take the ice,” Inglehart said. “Every arena atmosphere and broadcast visual has been engineered to showcase a true-to-life team feel.”
San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini is the cover athlete, and EA named him to the spot Tuesday as the youngest player to ever land there at 20 years old.
Celebrini talked about seeing the Sharks’ home building recreated in the game.
“Seeing the Shark Tank brought to life like that is honestly unreal,” Celebrini said. “They really captured the atmosphere. Sharks fans are going to load it up and feel like they’re right there in the building with us, and that’s pretty special.”
Watch the full reveal trailer:
NHL 27 launches Sept. 11 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Pre-orders get seven days of early access.
