EA Sports has revealed details about Draft Champions, a brand new game mode in NHL 17. Draft Champions allows players to build a team filled with current and past NHLers that fits their playstyle. Draft Champions is a fantasy draft with a unique twist.
When players enter Draft Champions, they will be asked to pick one of four team themes. Themes determine which players will be made available during the 12 round draft and they generate a base team before the draft. Base teams are made up of low to mid-tier players who fit your selected theme.
New themes will be added to Draft Champions throughout the NHL season.
The three themes visible in the Draft Champions preview video are:
- “Best in the West”—a theme with an emphasis on Western Conference players
- “East Coast Beast Coast”—a theme which focuses on the Eastern Conference
- “All-Star Alumni”—a theme built around former NHL superstars
EA hasn’t indicated whether these themes will lock you into players from these categories while you are drafting, or if they will simply provide you with more options from your chosen category.
Once the draft begins, gamers choose between four players in each round. Every draft will feature a variety of players, so teams should look very different from draft to draft.
After the draft has finished, gamers hit the ice. It’s possible to play Draft Champions solo or against other gamers online. Winning the Draft Championship requires four victories in a row.
Every game completed earns Draft Collectables. These can be used to complete Hockey Ultimate Team Draft Champion dynamic sets—which can unlock high-end player items, packs, and other rewards.
There is no indication yet as to what kind of special rewards gamers will earn for winning four games in a row and completing the Draft Championship.
There are still some details yet to be fleshed out about this new mode, but the prospect of fantasy drafts with themes is intriguing, especially since new themes are expected to be added regularly. The idea of a 12 round draft is also appealing. Fantasy drafts in past NHL games have been long processes.
NHL 17 is coming to Xbox One and PS4 September 13, and SGO has you covered for all your NHL news and updates.