Hockey fans who can't wait for "NHL 17," this year's edition of the long-running hockey franchise for EA Sports, can join the beta phase of the game today, GameSpot reports.
Fans subscribed to the EA Sports NHL newsletter, however, managed to get access a day early thanks to the newsletter, which provided three beta codes via e-mail. The "NHL 17" codes were usable in both the PlayStation Store and Xbox Store, and that's all that's needed to play the game in beta.
What's available to play in the "NHL 17" beta are the mobile-themed Hockey Ultimate Team mode, where you play with NHL players through collectible cards; the online multiplayer EA Sports Hockey League mode where you build teams to compete against other players with; and the one-on-one Online Versus mode.
Other new features available in the full "NHL 17" release, according to GameSpot, will be a World Cup of Hockey mode that will accurately mirror the real-life World Cup that's happening later this year. There's also a Draft Champions mode where you fantasy draft a team from the entire NHL and compete against other players for a championship. For competitive players who want to play against others online, there will be an online leaderboard.
"NHL 17" will also have the first Franchise mode of the series, and it will be similar to the franchise/dynasty modes of other sports games, such as "Madden NFL." Players will be able to control every aspect of managing an NHL team, from hiring players and coaches to managing an arena—the main goal is to keep the team owners happy.
The "NHL 17" beta phase is only until August 4 next week. After that, players won't be able to play it until it officially releases a month after on September 13 for Playstation 4 and Xbox One.
