You can see this year's graphics upgrade in the first gameplay trailer released Thursday by publisher Electronic Arts. Most of the visual improvements in NHL 22 will come courtesy of developer EA Vancouver's transition to EA's Frostbite engine, the same technology that powers EA games from Madden and FIFA to Battlefield and Star Wars. Throughout the previous console generation, EA Sports Ignite was the engine of sports games.
The trailer focuses on elements like dynamic lighting for arenas (including flares), 3D ice blast effects, and an ice surface with realistic depth and reflectivity. While these elements will be exclusive to the current generation version of NHL 22, the game will also receive numerous visual upgrades on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. For example, EA Vancouver said it "completely rebuilt" dozens of player models and improved elements like eyes and skin shading.
Augmented reality, graphic overlays that convey relevant information to the player in a very visible way is another key part of NHL 22's new look.
The other main focus of Thursday's gameplay trailer is Superstar X-Factor abilities, which will give the NHL's top players a new way to differentiate themselves in the game.
NHL 22 will release on October 15 on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X and Xbox One.