In attempting to attract new players, NHL Threes, 3-on-3, addresses at least one major problem: scoring opportunities. New players often have a hard time even getting to the net, much less shooting. NHL Threes should at least make it easier to get in and fire away.

 

But it doesn't have any real answers for the other barrier to accessibility in NHL, which is actually scoring. This is a problem because, let's face it, scoring in NHL is really hard. Even if you're a reasonably experienced player, there will be times when the opposing goalie just seems to stand on their head and stop literally everything. This is doubly frustrating if you're struggling with the controls, which are quite complicated even if you go with the more simplified variants.
 
Really, the most likely "ambassador" scenario is that a veteran will bring in their friend and proceed to score on them at will on breakaway after breakaway. Doesn't sound very fun, does it?
 
In that light, I actually think it'll be the hardcore fans who embrace NHL Threes. The sneaky interesting thing about NHL 18's new mode is that it will support a variant of EA Sports Hockey League, a popular mode in which you can team up with your friends to form a team. EASHL is a great mode, but if you don't have five readily available friends, it can be tough to get a meaningful game going. Matchmaking is frankly obnoxious in EASHL, and playing with the CPU is the worst.
 
NHL Threes, though, only really needs three players per side, making it much easier to get a regular group together, and its breakneck pace and goofy aesthetic makes it a perfect way to blow off steam. In effect, it could be another Rocket League, albeit without the insane aerial stunts that make that game so memorable.
 
Should NHL Threes gain a following, its colorful arenas also make it a better eSports candidate than its peers, as they help to remove it a bit from the real-life sport. EA has been pushing eSports pretty hard of late, but they've yet to meaningfully address the fact that it's simply weird to watch people compete in a digitized version of a real sport. By leaning more toward the Rocket League side of things, NHL has a better chance than most of distinguishing itself.
 
At least, that's what EA is probably hoping.
 
We'll see how things shake out, but it is a well-supported mode that stands a better chance of succeeding than MLB The Show's ill-fated Retro Mode, which fell off hard after launch. And it does much to solve the problem of matchmaking in EASHL, which has proven to be a major barrier to entry over the past couple years despite NHL's best efforts.
 
Will it be the ambassador to NHL that EA is touting? It's doubtful. But as a new way for veterans to enjoy EA's venerable hockey sim, it has promise. You can sign up here for the public beta, which goes live on July 25. You can find the rest of the details on NHL 18's gameplay improvements here.
 
NHL 18 will be releasing on all the usual consoles (but not Switch or PC) on September 15th.

Legit and Cheap NHL 18 Coins will be sale on buynhlcoins.com once the game is available. Get the latest NHL 18 News and Guides on our new page.