Is NHL 22 free with EA Play?

NHL 22 first arrived back in October, but some players are looking to see whether it's already landed as a perk for EA Play subscribers.

Here's everything we know about NHL 22 on EA Play, which is a service included as part of Xbox Game Pass.

Is NHL 22 free with EA Play?

EA Play has been going strong for a few years now, and it primarily serves as a subscription-based home for all major EA titles.

That includes the NHL franchise, and many are hoping it already includes the recently released NHL 22 that landed on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

Unfortunately, the full version of NHL 22 has not yet landed on EA Play, but that doesn't mean subscribers can't play the game at all.

If you have EA Play, either as an individual subscription or as part of Xbox Game Pass, you'll be able to download the NHL 22 Trial which allows a full 10 hours of game time.

After you've tried it for 10 hours you'll then be forced to either stop or make the leap of purchasing a full copy to continue playing, but the trial allows you to see what you think before buying.

It's important to note that while it is a free part of their catalogue and doesn't cost extra, players will till have to pay for either an EA Play subscription or an Xbox Game Pass subscription to have access.

When will NHL 22 be on EA Play and Xbox Game Pass?

While the title isn't there just yet, that doesn't mean NHL 22 isn't expected to become a fixture of EA Play and Xbox Game Pass.

Over the last few years, we've seen a consistent timeframe by EA with their major NHL, FIFA, and Madden franchises.

The games tend to hit EA Play approximately six months after launch, providing the same staggered arrival that the games have when they initially release.

With that in mind, and NHL 22's October release date, we're currently expecting NHL 22 to hit EA Play in April 2022.

It could land in the middle of the month to more closely align with the title's October 15 release, but they also tend to drop EA Play additions earlier in the month.

In the meantime, players with EA Play can download NHL 21 and play the title in full if the 10-hour trial of NHL 22 isn't enough and they don't want to pay for the full game.