NHL 27 releases on September 11, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with Deluxe Edition early access beginning September 4. Developed by EA Vancouver and published by Electronic Arts, this annual ice hockey simulation puts greater emphasis on individual NHL team identity through 32 unique playbooks built with NHL EDGE data, redesigned arena presentation, authentic goal songs, updated crowds, and a new broadcast package featuring John Buccigross and Darren Pang. Connected Franchise, Be A Pro, Hockey Ultimate Team, World of Chel, local multiplayer, online co-op, and cross-platform play return alongside revised skating, passing, defensive behavior, and team-specific tactical systems.
NHL 27 has no PC/Steam version announced.
DLC
No traditional expansion DLC announced at this time. NHL Points, Hockey Ultimate Team content, World of Chel items, and seasonal digital rewards are available separately through in-game purchases.
Editions – what’s included
- Standard Edition: Includes the complete base game. Pre-order bonuses include a HUT NHL Player Pack, 500 NHL Points, and a World of Chel 2XP Boost.
- Deluxe Edition: Includes the base game, seven days of early access beginning September 4, 4,600 NHL Points, HUT ICONS Choice Pack, HUT HEROES Choice Pack, HUT New Wave Celebrini Pack, HUT NHL Player Pack, HUT Fan Choice Pack, Macklin Celebrini World of Chel Limited Loadout, and two World of Chel Double XP Tokens.
Review
NHL 27 focuses less on introducing a completely new style of hockey and more on making individual teams behave and feel recognizably different. All 32 NHL clubs now use dedicated playbooks informed by NHL EDGE data, affecting breakouts, special teams, defensive pressure, and late-game strategy. That should make switching teams more meaningful than simply learning a different roster.
Presentation receives a similarly broad overhaul. Arenas incorporate authentic goal songs, team traditions, revised crowds, new lighting, updated jumbotrons, and matchup-specific presentation. John Buccigross and Darren Pang lead the refreshed commentary package, helping the game move away from the familiar broadcast rhythm of recent entries.
Connected Franchise is the biggest structural addition. Online leagues can support up to 32 human-controlled teams with customizable rules, flexible schedules, roster management, commissioner tools, trades, free agency, and salary-cap controls. It gives franchise players a far more social alternative to managing a league alone.
Be A Pro, World of Chel, and Hockey Ultimate Team remain important parts of the package, while improved crossplay allows PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series players to compete and team up across supported online modes.
The familiar concern is monetization. HUT packs, NHL Points, Deluxe Edition bonuses, and recurring digital rewards remain heavily integrated. Players looking for major changes to the underlying skating and shooting systems may also find the improvements more evolutionary than transformative.
Verdict: A presentation-heavy NHL upgrade with stronger team identity and a genuinely useful Connected Franchise mode, even if its core hockey remains an evolution of the existing formula.
PC System Requirements
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | — | — |
| CPU | — | — |
| Memory | — | — |
| Graphics | — | — |
| Storage | — | — |
Supported Languages
| Language | Interface | Full Audio | Subtitles |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| French | ✔ | — | ✔ |
| German | ✔ | — | ✔ |
| Czech | ✔ | — | ✔ |
| Finnish | ✔ | — | ✔ |
| Swedish | ✔ | — | ✔ |
