Many hockey fans look forward to the yearlyNHLgames, which are the most popular hockey video games, so the issues withNHL 21have been a big disappointment to many.NHL 21is delayedand will only be available on PS4 and Xbox One, which may be a letdown for PC gamers now that EA is officially confirming there won’t be a PC version.
Some of the confusion comes from a mistaken product page GameStop posted for a PC version ofNHL 21,which brought some fans' hopes up despite the series not being released on PC for the past several years. An EA Sports dev tweeted that the pro hockey game won’t be available for PC, adding another disappointment to theNHLfranchise’s mixed success.
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The possibility ofNHL 21being a PC game started when anNHLesports commentator found GameStop’s listing and tweeted it online. However, the possibility of error was always present and acknowledged by the OP given that the product listed Xbox and PC as being available, but not PS4.
It looks like the retailer simply substituted PC for PS4 on accident, which comes as a disappointment to the people who responded to the tweet expressing excitement to play a newNHLgame on PC.GameStop is struggling as a retailerin the pandemic, and even well-off businesses make mistakes sometimes.
Some comments on the original tweet expressed doubt that a PC release ofNHL 21could ever be popular, but most of the comments were in favor of playing on PC. Some people said they’d waited a long time to play a newNHLgame on PC, and a few people even said they only have aconsole to playNHLgames on. Conversely, on the tweet denying the PC rumors, many comments were negative, and one person even said the possibility of a PCNHLgame was the most exciting news theNHLfranchise had come up with. Many people were confused and frustrated about why EA has seemingly abandonedNHLPC releases.
NHL 21won’t be available on Xbox Series X or PS5, either, which is a confusing decision for some, especially as the release date has been pushed from September to October.Video game delays in the pandemicare not a new issue, so whileNHL 21’s delay is frustrating to dedicated hockey fans, it’s not exactly shocking news. The forced delay and limited platform release are unfortunate, but hopefully mean EA is just dedicating even more time and effort into delivering a great product.
NHL 21is set to arrive in October 2020 for PS4 and Xbox One.