Back in the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 (PS3) era of EA Sports NHL, GM Connected was the game’s version of online franchise. Though the mode had numerous issues including a completely unusable user interface, it was still popular among friends. Unfortunately, once the series made the jump to the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 (PS4), the mode hasn’t been a part of the franchise.
But there was hope. NHL 22 marks the game’s jump to the Frostbite Engine. With a new engine meant a new era, and that hopefully meant a return of GM Connected. But if you were hoping for NHL 22 to signal the return of GM Connected, prepare to be disappointed.
EA Sports has confirmed that the mode won’t be back with NHL 22.
“We took a really long, hard look at this feature, knowing that we’d have to prioritize the move to Frostbite,” NHL 22 producer Clement Kwong told IGN.
Ultimately, GM Connected didn’t make it into the final feature set for NHL 22. That doesn’t mean that the team still isn’t going to look into it for the future.
“[It’s] on the list of long-term projects,” he said. “We know the community is asking for it.”
NHL 22 launches on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on October 15. Those who preorder the “X-Factor Edition” of the game will get the game three days sooner on October 12 as well as receive dual entitlement for their platform.
How disappointed are you with the lack of GM Connected in NHL 22? Let us know in the comment section below and stick with Sports Gamers Online for more.