EA Sports has launched NHL 22’s early access trial – open now to anyone with EA Play or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
NHL 22, the latest in the classic ice hockey series, is due to launch on October 15 but has now entered early access. This allows players to download the game in full and play up to 10 hours before the official launch.
The trial was announced yesterday by NHL 22 community manager, The Clapperton:
THE BUTTON HAS BEEN PRESSED. #NHL22 IS NOW LIVE ON EA PLAY
GO GO GO GO GO
— Clappy (@TheClapperton) October 7, 2021
However, just ten hours after the trial went live, NHL 22 began running into some issues, resulting in servers being shut down for a short period on its first day.
“The NHL 22 servers will be down for a short period of time starting at 9 pm ET to solve the issue of HUT items getting stuck in the auction house,” said NHL 22’s community manager.
Unfortunately, it looks as though there are more issues to be resolved – including game crashes across various gameplay modes.
“We’re aware of crashes/desyncs happening across various modes in #NHL22 and are working continuously to fix these issues,” he added. “We will provide an update when we have more to share.”
Despite these issues, players are promised that all progress during the trial will carry over into the main game, should they decide to purchase the full version. That means you’ll be able to pick up right where you left off.
To access the free trial, you’ll need to be signed up to EA Play on Xbox, PlayStation, or PC. Notably, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate users have access to EA Play as part of their subscription and can download the free trial direct from the Game Pass menu.
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