NHL 21 is well on its way through development, and there's now a closed beta period live with the technical test.
Here's what you need to know.
Latest News - NHL 21 Closed Beta is Live for Technical Test!
The closed technical test for NHL 21, its equivalent of a closed beta, is live! This is replacing the usual beta structure EA have run for NHL games, which means the game is significantly less polished than it would be for a traditional beta.
All that said, this is still the community's first chance to play the game!
You can read all about it right here!
NHL 21 Release Date
Thanks to a pre-order listing on Amazon, EA has apparently confirmed the release date for NHL 21.
READ MORE: NHL 21 Cover Star: Who will make the cover?
That release date is 16 October, with the Ultimate Edition granting early access from 13 October.
Download
THE KID - Will Sid the Kid finally grace an NHL cover?
The NHL 20 demo/beta was available on PS4 and Xbox One, so we can expect the same for NHL 21.
No news yet on if NHL 21 is going to make its way to next-gen consoles. However, given the backwards compatibility of both the PS5 and Xbox Series X you will still be able to play!
READ MORE: NHL 21 Price: Amazon listing reveals cost
To download the demo, all you have to do is head over to the respective online stores for each console and search NHL 21!
Teams
We do not know as of writing what teams are going to be in the demo for NHL 20.
Last year, players were able to test out most teams during the Online Versus mode!
READ MORE: NHL 21 Editions: Standard, Ultimate, Pre-Order & more
Hopefully, we will have the same freedom this year.
The World of Chel
POND - Who doesn't love a game of pond hockey?
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from last year's beta was EA's agenda for pushing the concept of The World of Chel. Inspired from your classic pond hockey matches, this game mode is a more relaxed version of the NHL gameplay.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about FIFA 21
Along with team competitions in The World of Chel, there was also a new game mode titled "Eliminator". This was NHL's version of a battle royal, where 81 players would face off 1v1 to determine the best.
Expect this game mode to be in the beta this time around as well!
Online Versus
VERSUS - What's your favorite NHL team?
As apart of the demo from NHL 20, players were able to go head to head with someone online in the Online Versus mode.
You were able to check out all 31 NHL rosters here, so it was a great chance to check out all the new prospects and best players!
Be A Pro Mode
We highly doubt EA is going to let us sample Be A Pro mode during the demo!
Ultimate Team
As with Be A Pro, we do not expect we will get a chance to dive into Ultimate Team during the demo.