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After listening to fan feedback, EA Sports has announced quite a few additions will be available when it officially launches on September 15 in North America. In fact, all of these features will be available when the game arrives on EA Access this week.
Some of those key additions include EASHL Drop-In, EASHL Player Badges, Shootout Mode, Team Practices, NHL 3-on-3 OT rule change and the United Center, home of the Chicago Blackhawks.
Check out the full details below.
EA SPORTS HOCKEY LEAGUE
- Ranked Quick Match – The perfect place to play EASHL if you don’t have an EASHL team or if your teammates can’t make it online. Quickly search for a Drop-In game of up to 6v6 to practice your skills or scout players. Play as your created pro, choose your position and your player class before entering the game.
- Invite Friend – Send an EASHL Drop-In invite to your friends.
- EASHL Player Badges – Introducing EA SPORTS™ Hockey League pro leveling. Play EASHL Seasons, Playoff games, or Drop-in games and earn Experience Points that unlocks badges for different stat categories and milestones. Earn enough EXP and you will level up your Pro.
Once at Level 50, you will earn a Prestige badge and start at Level 1 again to begin the pursuit of your next badge. This is the ultimate display of your skills. Player levels will be prominently presented for other users to see in the Leaderboards, Dressing Room, and Side Select, so level up and brag to your friends.
SHOOTOUT MODE
- Online Shootout – Take on another player in a head-to-head match as the goalie or the shooter. Players will get five shots each and are able to play as the goalie. Choose between a Ranked Quick Match where you are quickly paired up against an online opponent for a 1v1 shootout game, Custom Matchmaking where you can customize your unranked shootout settings, or the Invite a Friend option.
- Offline Shootout – Take part in a shootout against the AI or a local human controlled player.
TEAM PRACTICES
- Practice mode now includes team practices. Players can have up to five players on both offense and defense in three different scenarios from "rush" to "in-zone" plays. There is also the option to play as the goalie in practices, so you can hone your skills before starting your goalie career or taking on online competition.
PRESENTATION
- The United Center is now included in NHL 16 and will feature authentic architecture found at the home arena of the Chicago Blackhawks.
- Players can now select between five different sizes for Player Indicators that appear during gameplay.
- Improvements to lighting, visuals, fan AI and stadium architecture for all NHL arenas.
BE A GM
- General improvements to Player Morale.
- Added the ability to offer qualified RFAs a contract during the pre-season.
- Updated AI trade logic.
HOCKEY ULTIMATE TEAM
- Improvements to search filters for Collections, My Bids, and ended Auctions.
BE A PRO
- Improvements to defenseman visualization and coaching feedback.
GAMEPLAY
- Added NHL 3-on-3 OT rule changes.
- General improvements to defensive AI logic.
- Added an alternate goalie control scheme based on Beta feedback
- Added option to toggle if precision skating is default or not for goalies.
- Hint supports added for alternate goalie controls.
- Improved logic for goalie interference penalties and allowed/disallowed goals.
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