Time is flying by, and we’re already nearly in June, and with that comes the next turnover for subscription services and new free games for players across various platforms. We got a peek yesterday at Sony’s offering for their PS Plus members, and now we see what Microsoft is offering up for their Xbox Live Gold subscribers this month- and it looks like there’s a good deal of variety.

The headlining game is EA’s NHL 19, the latest entry in the annual hockey series, and it will be available all month long from June 1-30. Along with it is the classic Portal, the physics based puzzler, which will available June 1-15.

While those are the major titles, as always there’s four total titles with the service, with one being Rivals of Aether, a Smash Bros.-inspired fighting game with several high profile indie guest stars like Shovel Knight, which will be free June 16-July 15. Finally, Earth Defense Force 2017, an entry in the alien invasion themed shooter series, will be available June 16-30.

The games will available for free to Gold subscribers starting at the beginning of June.

If you’re ready, then let’s get started!

GENERAL TIPS AND TRICKS

Don’t Abuse Poke-checks

In earlier NHL titles, you must have got used to using poke-checks a lot, but doing  the same here can easily end up in an automatic penalty. If you hit the puck first and then follow through the legs, you won’t get a penalty. However, if your poke-check goes through the legs without  this being the case, you will get a penalty. Use Hitting and Stick lifts as part of your defense. You can also try hitting the opponent along the bars to try and get the puck from them.

Pay Attention To Stamina

Stamina plays a very important role in the game in all of the World of Chel game modes. If your player runs out of stamina, then you will no longer be able to make use of your trait and specialty bonuses. Because of this, you will have to be careful in managing your stamina and you will have to ensure that it doesn’t  get too low at any point.

Vision Control Is Important

Vision control is really important in NHL 19 and it really makes you feel a lot more in control of your player when skating around. Make sure you get used to its sensitivity first in some practice matches, but once you get the hang of it, you will be on a whole other level of skill.

Practice Player Switching

NHL 19 brings a new player switching system, and it’s pretty great. Basically, by holding down RT and using the right analog stick, you can switch to any player in the direction you want, and not just the player closest to the puck. This makes player switching a lot faster,  but it  might take a while to get the hang of it. Practice this out in some practice matches, and it will be crucial to win in  high level play.

Coordinate When Necessary In NHL Ones

NHL Ones is the 1v1v1 free for all mode, and sometimes it would be best to coordinate with another player. If you’re down by some points and the game is nearing its end, but the other two players have almost the same number of points, then try and create a tie by helping  out the player who has fewer points. This will ensure you get another chance to win in the tiebreaker round.

Wait For The Rebounds

A lot of times, the best tactic would be to position yourself so that you can  get a rebound from an opponent’s wasted shot. This will allow you to get an easy shot in without your opponent  being able to defend quickly enough. As such, don’t always chase after your opponent or try to prevent their shot because their wasted shot can help you attain victory.

Shooting Goals Is Easy

If things aren’t quite going your way or you’re unable to pull off some particularly skilled move, then sometimes you should just try shoot the puck. The goalkeeper in this game is very bad at defending, so it’s quite easy to get lucky and end up with a goal. So, shoot away when you feel like it, and there’s a good chance that it will pay off.

TOP RATED PLAYERS

You can find below the list of the 50 top rated players in the game along with each of their overall ratings (OVR).

• JONATHAN TOEWS – 87 OVR
• FREDERIK ANDERSEN – 88 OVR
• MATT MURRAY – 88 OVR
• PEKKA RINNE – 88 OVR
• ANDREI VASILEVSKIY – 88 OVR
• RYAN SUTER – 88 OVR
• JAKUB VORACEK – 88 OVR
• RYAN GETZLAF – 88 OVR
• NICKLAS BACKSTROM – 88 OVR
• JOHN CARLSON – 88 OVR
• ALEKSANDER BARKOV – 88 OVR
• P.K. SUBBAN – 88 OVR
• ROMAN JOSI – 88 OVR
• OLIVER EKMAN-LARSSON – 88 OVR
• ARTEMI PANARIN – 88 OVR
• BRAD MARCHAND – 88 OVR
• DEVAN DUBNYK – 89 OVR
• JONATHAN QUICK – 89 OVR
• EVGENY KUZNETSOV – 89 OVR
• ALEX PIETRANGELO – 89 OVR
• MARK SCHEIFELE – 89 OVR
• PHIL KESSEL – 89 OVR
• BLAKE WHEELER – 89 OVR
• BRENT BURNS – 89 OVR
• AUSTON MATTHEWS – 89 OVR
• PATRIK LAINE – 89 OVR
• CLAUDE GIROUX – 89 OVR
• TUUKKA RASK – 90 OVR
• TYLER SEGUIN – 90 OVR
• JAMIE BENN – 90 OVR
• JOHNNY GAUDREAU – 90 OVR
• JOHN TAVARES – 90 OVR
• PATRICE BERGERON – 90 OVR
• VLADIMIR TARASENKO – 90 OVR
• TAYLOR HALL – 90 OVR
• ANZE KOPITAR – 90 OVR
• ERIK KARLSSON – 90 OVR
• NATHAN MACKINNON – 90 OVR
• BRADEN HOLTBY – 91 OVR
• SERGEI BOBROVSKY – 91 OVR
• STEVEN STAMKOS – 91 OVR
• EVGENI MALKIN – 91 OVR
• PATRICK KANE – 91 OVR
• VICTOR HEDMAN – 91 OVR
• NIKITA KUCHEROV – 91 OVR
• CAREY PRICE – 92 OVR
• DREW DOUGHTY – 92 OVR
• ALEXANDER OVECHKIN – 92 OVR
• SIDNEY CROSBY – 93 OVR
• CONNOR MCDAVID – 94 OVR

HOW TO EARN COINS QUICKLY

Note: Please use the following method  at your own discretion. Using this online or offline may lead to an immediate ban. GamingBolt or its staff members are not responsible for any problems arising due to their use.

If you want to know the fastest way to earn coins quickly in NHL 19, then we’ve got you covered. The video below will show you how exactly you can make coins as quickly as possible in the game.

NHL 19 HUT – ULTIMATE TEAM GUIDE

Beginner’s Guide

Hockey Ultimate Team is basically a mode where you can create the team of your dreams and then you can use this team to compete against other players online. of course, you will also be able to play offline if you want to. As you play and earn new rewards, you can get new players for your team and also upgrade your team in various ways.

You will be able to get various legends of the sport in this game mode as there will be over 140 NHL Alumni Player Items and 63 HUT Legends. You can get such items as rewards for completing short-term tasks known as objectives and long-term tasks known as milestones and these will net you better rewards. Objectives are daily tasks that reward coins, packs, and HUT items. These objectives can vary from day to day but keep doing them and you will be able to earn a Legend item by the end of a month. Apart from the daily objectives, there can also be Event Objectives which will be available during certain events in the game. Milestones take longer to complete but the payoff is also much greater. You can earn Legends, coins, and more by completing Milestones, so make sure you try and complete these whenever possible.

You will also have the option to loan certain players, and they will be on your team for a limited amount of time. This will allow you to see how this player fits in with your team before you choose to buy this specific player. There are also a lot of Player Items you can earn in the game and these are of different rarity and types. You ca get these items by completing sets, through the Auction House, opening packs, completing HUT challenges, and other such activities.

There are different types of Synergies that you can make use of in the game and these are Player Synergy and Team Synergy. Team Synergy will grant a bonus to the entire team while Player Synergy grants bonus to any other player who shares the same synergy. Throughout your  journey with Ultimate Team, you will keep getting better as you get better Players and items.

Game Modes

There are various game modes to try out with your Ultimate Team and this includes Online Seasons. In online season, you can try to win in a division and doing so will net you some neat rewards. There are also various HUT challenges out there to complete and these will reward you with some good rewards as well. If you want something more competitive, then there are competitive seasons available in the game and you will be playing against other players throughout seasons. At the end each round, you will earn certain rewards based on the points you earn and then at the end of the season, you will earn a larger reward based on how many points you accumulated.

There is also the HUT Champions mode and a new seasons starts every week. You will first have to earn a Qualification Collectible and once you do so, you will be able to participate in the Weekend Season. If you want something a little more different, then you can try out Draft Champions where you can pick  superstars quickly and then try them out on the ice. Apart from these modes, you can also play against friends, or you can also play co-op with a friend in all modes except HUT Competitive Seasons and HUT Champions. All in all, there’s a lot to be seen with HUT Ultimate Team, so make sure you see them  all.

ACHIEVEMENTS/TROPHIES GUIDE

HUT Superstar: Reach Division 1 in Online Seasons in Hockey Ultimate Team.

So HUT Right Now: Recently win the title in a Hockey Ultimate Team Season and return to the Hockey Ultimate Team Hub.

You’re All Set: Complete a set in Hockey Ultimate Team

Tuck Me In: Score a goal with a one hand tuck in any mode.

Manual Sauce: Get an assist from a manual saucer pass in any mode.

Flip Biscuit: Get an assist from a manual saucer pass in any mode.

You’ll always remember your first: Score your first goal as a skater or complete and win your first game as a goalie in World of CHEL.

Enhance: Complete a game with 2 traits and a specialty applied to your player.

Mascot Winner: Win a game as either Mascots West or Mascots East in a Threes Now game in NHL® Threes Mode.

King of the West: Defeat the final boss of the Western Circuit in NHL® Threes.

Fully Scouted: Assign a scout to create a potential and comparison report on an amateur player.

CHL Scout: Assign a scout to one of the WHL, OHL or QMJHL regions in Franchise Mode.

Champion: Win the Stanley Cup® in Be A Pro mode.

Someone get that kid the puck: Play and score your 1st NHL goal in a regular season game in Be a Pro

Practice Makes Perfect: Complete all training camp drills.

You’re not cut: Make your NHL team out of the preseason in Be a Pro

Pro scout master: Assign a scout to create 5 Complete Reports on 5 NHL Players.

Cup champs: Win the Stanley Cup as the 32nd NHL team in Franchise Mode

3 Star performance: Complete and win an NHL® Threes Circuit Game with 3 Stars.

Dropping In: Play a game of Drop-in Threes.

Conference Champions: Be a member of an EASHL club that has recently won a Division Title and return to the Seasons HUB.

Diamond Rink: Play in a final rink game in Ones.

Extend the Twig: Deflect a shot with the Defensive Skill Stick in any mode.

Tee it up: Score a goal with a manual one timer in any mode.

Apple a Day: Get an assist with a between the legs pass in any mode.

Winner, Winner: Win a game (online or offline) in Hockey Ultimate Team.

First overall: Complete an NHL® Draft Champions Draft.

Contract Extension: Use a contract item on any Gold grade player in Hockey Ultimate Team.

Legendary: Collect a legend item in Hockey Ultimate Team.

Seeing stars: Earn a total 50 Stars in HUT Challenges.

Super Synergized: Have every player on your active Hockey Ultimate Team Lineup have an active Synergy Style.

Committed: Collect 100 Free Packs in Hockey Ultimate Team.

Specialized: Collect a special item in Hockey Ultimate Team.

Take it online: Complete an Online game in Hockey Ultimate Team.

Auctioneer: Buy or Sell an item in the auction house in Hockey Ultimate Team.

Own the crease: Have a shutout and win a game as a user-controlled goalie in any mode.

Not my bottle: Knock off the opposing goalie’s bottle from the net by scoring a goal.

Costume Party: Score a goal as a Mascot in an NHL® Threes game.

Kids a Beauty: Score a goal with a between the legs shot in any mode.

How Prestigious: Level up your World of CHEL pro past Player Level 50.

Overtime Heroics: In a World of CHEL game, score the game-winning overtime goal.

Bag of Goodies: Open your first Progression Rewards bag.

Best of the Bunch: Win a Ones game.

Who’s the Pro now?: Win a Pro-Am game.

Circuit King: Win the final circuit trophy for NHL® Threes Mode.

Star Collector: Collect all the stars in an NHL® Threes Circuit.

Cooperative: Complete and win an Online Co-op NHL® Threes Circuit Game.

Getting Drafted: Get drafted to an NHL team in Be a Pro Mode.

Since I hadn’t played a game in the series since 2015, I booted up this iteration with the initial goal of finding the tutorials and learn from the ground up. My existing (albeit rudimentary) understanding of the sport helped me grasp the basics right away, and the excellent training setup gave me the rest of the information needed to fully invest in the game. EA has succeeded admirably at offering accessibility for rookies and pros alike. The level of difficulty customization offered is above and beyond, and while I opted for the lowest setting to begin with, I never felt that the game was dumbing itself down. If anything, the Rookie setting felt like a great amount of control while keeping things like poke and body checks a simple button press away. While I definitely delved into the game’s harder settings a bit, I settled on the second option after a few hours.

"Thankfully, most of the modes are enjoyable enough once you wade through the myriad menus and actually dive into a match."

While the game succeeds in its difficulty features, it’s a shame it drops the ball in its navigational accessibility. I appreciate EA’s obvious desire to pack in plenty to do, but there’s a distinct lack of focus in NHL 19’s menu presentation. The main menu is a plain collection of 18 total boxes, each linking to a game mode or features like rosters and settings. It’s as boring as it is inconvenient, and this cumbersome navigation extends to individual mode menus as well. You can pin three of your favorite modes to a home screen, so this issue can be somewhat alleviated for people mostly interested in only a few types of play. For anyone looking to get the most out of the game, however, you can expect a lot of tedium.

Thankfully, most of the modes are enjoyable enough once you wade through the myriad menus and actually dive into a match. The most overall exciting addition to NHL 19 is World of Chel, a new online hub spanning various interesting modes alongside progression features. There’s a bevy of collectibles to chase after, outdoor rinks, and a really cool 1v1v1 mode that really brings out a playful side to the game. I had quite a lot of fun messing around with Pro Am in World of Chel’s. Going up against a mixture of new and legendary NHL skaters in a collection of fun challenges is among the best options in the game.

As expected with most modern sports games, Be A Pro mode offers players a career mode with a long trek from humble beginnings to a spot alongside the pros. But I found it the dullest of the modes, especially after seeing what EA has achieved with its other major franchises over the last few years. Unlike a franchise such as FIFA, there’s just not any engaging narrative or truly captivating sense of progression. I opted to spend most of my game time with NHL 19’s Threes mode instead, which plays out with teams of three in quick, frantic matches with a few altered rules to make things interesting. Since the career mode was such a let down, it’s great to see EA toss in these types of unconventional modes to balance things out.

"As expected, sadly, there’s the obligatory microtransaction-filled mode with Hockey Ultimate Team. All the usual trappings are here that see players opening card packs to flesh out their dream teams."

Most surprisingly, however, is that I found myself thoroughly invested in Franchise mode, which is something that almost never happens for me in sports titles. It’s just as comprehensive as any other game and offers the typical recruitment, trades, and meetings. But a new “Fog of War” concept forces you to scout more often and be more aware so as to avoid having skaters’ ratings hidden from you. This unique spin makes the scouting system far more fun than it has any right to be.

As expected, sadly, there’s the obligatory microtransaction-filled mode with Hockey Ultimate Team. All the usual trappings are here that see players opening card packs to flesh out their dream teams. It’s a game of chances, and its predatory pricing system doles out points in such a way that you’re forced to spend more real money than packs actually cost, always leaving you with points left over. I’m not a fan of any microtransactions in full-priced games, but NHL 19 is one of the worst offenders when it’s taking advantage of players with such an unfair pricing model.

The game’s online experience is mixed. While World of Chel grants access to tons of exciting modes, the actual moment-to-moment gameplay can be somewhat iffy. I encountered a lot of slowdown and lag across the few hours I put into my online matchups. It was never a major issue that kept me from having a good time with other players, but it was also bad enough to create a few inopportune events that led to unnecessary penalties. I’m sure some of the problems can be ironed out over time, but if not, NHL 19 is poised to become known for some unfair online matches.

"Animations, on the other hand, are fluid and do a great job of visually representing the game’s tight controls."

Commentary is solid all-around, and the soundtrack is truly excellent. The game does a great job with its overall match presentation as well, but boy do wish EA would step up their visual game here. Little has changed since the last time I played a game in the series, meaning arenas are a delight, but players are still hideously modeled. The awful face capture work results in massive heads that look almost nothing like their real life counterparts. Most of them are so downright ugly that it actually becomes distracting, and I don’t even want to get started on how terribly this translates to the character creation.

Animations, on the other hand, are fluid and do a great job of visually representing the game’s tight controls. Skaters are highly responsive and the game’s aforementioned excellent difficulty options allow for a perfect amount of control based on an individual’s skill. I have a deep appreciation for the franchise’s nice balance between realism and arcade-y mechanics. It always leaves the physics and execution feeling ideal as you maneuver effortlessly around the rink. I never felt disadvantaged by the game’s fundamental control scheme, as it’s infinitely more accessible than other modern sports games.

At the end of the day, the level of polish from games like FIFA and Madden just isn’t here. Even so, there’s a significant amount of fun able to be pulled from specific modes like Threes and Franchise, but some visual elements, a dull career mode, and questionable menu designs really hamper the overall experience.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 4.

We’ve already got to see a bit  of some of the new features that NHL 19 will be bringing to players, such as the new NHL Ones mode. Well, the game is now out, and to celebrate its launch, a brand new trailer has been released which showcases the intense action players can expect to see in this game.

Although it’s not as popular as some of the other EA Sports titles out there, this game definitely looks worth it if you are a fan of ice hockey. The launch trailer showcases some of the different rinks you will be able to play in, some of the action, and all of it is using the game’s engine, which means that this is what the game will actually look like, as you’d expect from any launch trailer. There are a lot of improvements that the developers have brought to the table with this game, and you can learn more about these from our recent interview with them.

Check out the launch trailer for the game below. NHL 19 is currently available for the PS4 and Xbox One.

Development

NHL 19 was announced in June 2018 for a September 2018 release on the PS4 and Xbox One. EA Sports confirmed that they didn’t have plans to make the game for PC or for the Nintendo Switch. EA Sports have made use of new technology for the development of NHL 19. They will have a new physics system for collisions, as well as new PBR lighting.

Gameplay

Like most new EA Sports games, NHL 19 will make use of the Real Player Motion technology. Several different skaters were motion captured, and EA Sports have overhauled the animations to make them fluider, and more realistic and authentic. Movement in the game will place a heavy emphasis on both, size and skill, and animations will flow into each other better than in previous games. In addition, NHL 19 is also making use of a new physics system that reworks the in-game collisions. Hit tracking has also supposedly been improved.

The Franchise Mode in NHL 19 also overhauls scouting mechanics, which according to EA Sports is “deep enough to be its own management game”. Players will be able to assemble teams of twenty scouts in total, both pro and amateur. Different scouts will specialize in different skills and regions, and each of them will have thirty ratings that will affect the scouts’ abilities. Scouting of amateur players has also been reworked, while scouting now also involves Fog of War. Fog of War will see certain players’ skills, attributed and abilities being unknown during scouting, and to remove the Fog of War, players will have to send out their scouts to witness matches and learn more about said unknown attributes. Scouts will also assess the personalities of players, which will give information on how they might or might not affect the morale of your team.

One of the biggest additions NHL 19 brings about is the World of CHEL, which is being described by EA Sports as an evolution of the EA Sports Hockey League (EASHL), as a hub mode of sorts that consolidates all position-locked multiplayer modes, the progression that is tied to them, as well as customization of custom created players. NHL ONEs is a major part of World of CHEL. In this new game mode, three players will play against each other 1v1v1 free for all with no rules, limitations, and stoppages, and the matches will be held on outdoor ponds in four different locations. All three players will play against an AI controller goalie, and the player that scores the most goals within 3 minutes will win the game. NHL ONEs matches will also have a new announcer, music being played in the background during gameplay, and shifting and changing times of the day. Players are promoted higher with each win, and every day EA Sports will be crowning Daily Champions for the highest ranked player in ONEs.

NHL THREEs also makes a return, and much its rendition in NHL 18, allows players to play in matches with no offsides and no icing on smaller sized rinks with faster paces matches. NHL THREEs will also have Drop-In capabilities, similar to EA Sports Hockey League, which allows players to play matches in casual gear and clothing, similar to NHL ONEs, with up to five other players online. NHL THREEs will now also focus solely on playing against NHL stars, which will also include NHL legends, such as Wayne Gretzky. Playing and winning more will award players with more experience, which they can use to win Hockey Bags, which will contain different gear.

In World of CHEL, players can now choose between a total of 15 classes for the player they choose to play as. Of these fifteen, 12 will be skater classes, while the remaining 3 will be for goalies. Player traits, attributes, and specializations will also be new factors that will allow for greater customization. Each player can have two traits that will give that player boost in certain categories. However, traits might also have drawbacks- for example, a trait that gives higher shot power might result in lower accuracy. Characters’ weights and heights will also have an impact on classes, attributes, traits, and specializations.

Players can create their own different loadouts, which will consist of player class, traits, and specializations. Multiple loadouts can be saved. Customization will also extend to cosmetic “lifestyle” items such as gear and clothing, which will include hoodies, jackets, parkas, knits, and more. There will be over 900 items that players can unlock and put to use. These items will be unlocked through progress made in all modes and progression in the entirety of World of CHEL.

World of CHEL will not be entirely online. The new Pro-Am mode will serve as a starting off point and allow players to try and test their created characters and their loadouts in offline challenges, while also earning points and rewards that will contribute to the overall World of CHEL progression. These will be three versus three challenges that will become increasingly difficult, in which players will play with and against teams that are a mix of both current players and past players from West vs. East, North America vs. World, Alumni, and Dream Team rosters. In Pro-Am as well, players will be wearing casual gear similar to ONEs.

Note: This wiki will be updated once we have more information about the game.

"Ones is our new casual competitive mode that combines a pond hockey tournament with a winter festival. The game is simple: no rules 1v1v1 vs an AI goalie."

What can you tell us about the NHL THREES league?

NHL Threes debuted in NHL 18 as version of over-the-top, arcade-inspired hockey for everyone. It’s 3v3 on a smaller rink, so there’s lots of end to end action. And there’s a booming announcer. Oh, and playable mascots. Fans really loved the vibe, but we added some new things. We have a tighter campaign that focuses solely on playing NHL stars, including NHL legends like Wayne Gretzky. And we added Threes Drop-in, which lets you dress in casual gear and match up with up to five other players online.

Also, how exactly does the new mode NHL ONES work?

Ones is our new casual competitive mode that combines a pond hockey tournament with a winter festival. The game is simple: no rules 1v1v1 vs an AI goalie. Most goals in three minutes wins. New announcer, tunes pumping during gameplay. Win your way up through four tiers of rinks. It’s the freshest, most addictive mode you’ve played in NHL in years.

What can you tell us about Pro-Am in the game?

Pro-Am is the starting point for a place World of CHEL, which is the hub for online position-locked play. Our most die-hard online players love choosing a position (e.g. centre, defense, or even goalie) and cooperating with friends to kick butt. It’s a real rush. Many NHL fans have never tried position-lock play. Pro-Am is a series of challenges that lets you practice your position of choice. And you’ll do that teamed up with pros from today’s NHL, as well as many heroes from the past.

We’ve heard that you aimed to make the game realistic and more responsive? How did you work towards achieving this goal?

This year, we’re introducing RPM Tech Skating. This new tech lets us seamlessly and instantly transition to any animation. We motion-captured explosive carves, cuts, and turns with multiple skaters of different sizes and styles. Then we fine tuned our input model and acceleration curves, resulting in skating that looks as athletic as today’s best skaters and is gives you the agility to make moves you couldn’t before. We are thrilled with the results.

What are some of the major improvements players can expect to see when it comes to the visual aspects of the game?

The biggest visual bump you’ll see is in our outdoor rinks. We really wanted to capture the look and feel of pond hockey outdoors at multiple times of day. In Ones, you’ll progress from early morning all the way to moonlit evening. New PBR lighting makes all of surfaces outside look markedly different from what you’ve seen before in NHL. One look at the pond ice, and you’ll be in love.

"The single biggest addition to online play is the unified progression in World of CHEL. This hub integrates all of our position-locked multiplayer modes with a single progression system and created player."

Are there any major changes that have been made to the online aspects of the game?

The single biggest addition to online play is the unified progression in World of CHEL. This hub integrates all of our position-locked multiplayer modes with a single progression system and created player. Playing in any of Pro-Am, Ones, Threes Drop-in, EASHL Drop-in, or EASHL Clubs earns you Hockey Bags that contain customization gear, which you equip to make yourself look truly unique on the ice. On top of that, your World of CHEL created player’s performance is customizable through a dozen different Player Classes. You also have dozens of Traits and Specialties to choose from. Try out different combinations to find your ideal loadout.
Come to think of it, that’s a lot of changes.

Overall it looks like a lot of improvements have been to this iteration of NHL. What would you say led the team to make this happen?

I think there was a real desire to try new things. NHL Threes was, to be honest, a bit of a risk in NHL 18. Will new and returning fans accept a mode that’s not “core” to the NHL? It wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but a large majority of players told us it was fun. So for NHL 19, we took on a number of features that weren’t easy: RPM Tech Skating, Ones, customization with casual gear, the unified progression in World of CHEL. The result is something that feels really fresh for old and new fans alike.

It looks like there will be a lot of customization options available in the game? What made you put so much effort into this aspect of the game?

Customization or, more precisely, personalization is really where games, culture, and sports are at now. Players want to put their own personal stamp on how they look and how they play. In hockey, it used to be that only goalies could personalize their equipment. Now, we see signs of that happening in the pros and certainly on the ponds. So I think the insane customization in World of CHEL with casual gear, as well as with player classes, traits, and specialities, is just the beginning of a new era of personalization in NHL.

What are some areas you would like to further improve and work on for the next NHL game?

Our team has no shortage of great ideas for NHL 20 and beyond. We truly believe we have the funnest online multiplayer sports experience in modes like EA Sports Hockey League and Ones, so we’ll continue to invest in polishing and expanding on that front. We’re also looking at ways to evolve core modes like Franchise Mode and Be a Pro. For example, Franchise Mode this year has a completely overhauled scouting system that’s deep enough to be its own management game. So whether you play offline or online, we’re working hard on both sides.

EA Sports’ NHL 19, this year’s edition of their annual take on hockey, will include a brand new mode called NHL Ones. NHL Ones is inspired by pond hockey, and is a free for all mode seeing players competing to score the most goals in a full range of outdoor locations- so the kinds of improvized hockey games many of you yourselves may have played outdoors when you were growing up and couldn’t always afford to go to a rink when the hockey mood took you.

A brand new video, courtesy of DualShockers, shows off how this mode will work, and it looks incredibly fun. EA Sports has promised that it will crown a new champion for this mode every day, which should keep players engaged and encourage them to return to it on a frequent basis. That said, the confirmation also comes with one of the modes not being available offline at all- so it’s playing online with others, or bust.

NHL 19 launches for PS4 and Xbox One on September 19.

Despite recent promises from Electronic Arts at large that the company was taking a huge step back from the controversial loot box mechanic, EA Sports still thinks they’re just dandy. Following on from the storm of controversy instigated by their Star Wars Battlefront 2 and Lootgate, EA Sports VP Daryl Holt has come out saying quite directly that what they’re doing is sustainable.

In an interview with Gamesindustry.biz, Holt declares that EA Sports is sticking to a “player first” mantra, with that good old classic “Player Choice” line that we’ve heard ad infinitum. “I can earn things in FIFA Ultimate Team just by playing the game, at whatever tier I want to play at. I can also beat you if you have a better-rated team because I’m better than you at FIFA. I don’t worry about what my rating is as a team… That aspect of choice and how we engage with EA Sports is a very different aspect with how we look at the controversy that came up around Battlefront.” Said Holt. 

While they’re sticking with their implementation, saying that it works, they’ve heard feedback and plan to implement packs properly into their 2019 lineup, which includes Madden NFL 19, NBA Live 19, NHL 19, and FIFA 19, all set to release this fall. Due to the fallout from Lootgate at the tail end of last year, EA made bold claims about their Lootboxes earlier this week.