Update: We have received more details about the Cover Athlete, Legend and Rookie items that are part of the Legend and Ultimate editions. These were added to the Legend edition description.
Hey NHLGamers,
Today marks the last day of August, which means we are about to enter CHEL MONTH! It also means we at NHLGamer are about to come back to life from our short summer break, and with NHL 19 on the horizon, we felt like helping you find your way through the maze of different editions to pick the option best suited to you. Welcome to our Buyer's Guide!
NHL 19 Standard Edition (69,99€ / 59.99$)
To start off, let's take a look at the three preorder options. First: The Standard Edition. Without surprises, this one comes with:
Base game
5 Hockey Ultimate Team Packs (1 per week for 5 weeks)
It's available in retail stores (check if your retailer features the 5 HUT Packs as a preorder bonus!) as well as on PSN and Xbox Live, and releases September 14th.
Digital preorders:
PSN (EU)
PSN (US)
Xbox Live
NHLGamer thinks: "The Standard Edition is the best choice for anyone who is looking to play NHL 19 for as cheap as possible and does not care whether he or she is able to get started later than other players. With 5 HUT Packs until October, it's a good option for players that are intrigued to take a peek at the HUT game mode. As it is the only edition available at retailers, keep an eye out for potential deals (coupons etc.) to lower the price even further compared to the digital listing. If you are on the fence whether or not to get NHL 19 at all, grab the physical copy and reserve the chance to re-sell it used down the road."
NHL 19 Legends Edition (89,99€ / 79.99$)
On top of the content in the NHL 19 Standard Edition, the Legends Edition includes:
3 days early access
An additional 15 Hockey Ultimate Team Packs (total: 1 per week for 20 weeks)
1 HUT Cover Athlete Item
Wayne Gretzky (85 OVR)
P. K. Subban (80 OVR)
William Nylander (80 OVR)
Patrik Laine (80 OVR)
1 HUT Legend Item (85 OVR)
Mats Sundin
Peter Forsberg
Mark Messier
Guy Lafleur
Brett Hull
Marcel Dionne
1 HUT Rookie Item (80 OVR)
Ondrej Kase
Clayton Keller
Charlie McAvoy
Casey Mittelstadt
Noah Hanifin
Teuvo Teräväinen
Alex Debrincat
Mikko Rantanen
Pierre-Luc Dubois
Esa Lindell
Anthony Mantha
Jesse Puljujärvi
Jared McCann
Adrian Kempe
Jordan Greenway
Charles Hudon
Kevin Fiala
Nico Hischier
Mat Barzal
Pavel Buchnevich
Thomas Chabot
Nolan Patrick
Zach Aston-Reese
Timo Meier
Vince Dunn
Mikhail Sergachev
Mitch Marner
Brock Boeser
Alex Tuch
Jakub Vrana
Kyle Connor
1 Unlocked World of Chel 'Hockey Bag'
This edition is not available in retail stores, and can only be obtained digitally on PSN and Xbox Live, with access on September 11.
Digital preorders:
PSN (EU)
PSN (US)
Xbox Live
NHLGamer thinks: "In our opinion, the NHL 19 Legends Editions offers the greatest value at its price - but only if you are interested in Hockey Ultimate Team! With a total of 20 HUT packs scattered across 4 months until January 2019, and 3 items that will be available instantly, it is guaranteed to give you a decent head start and is recommended for players that are already familiar with Hockey Ultimate Team, willing to keep up with its developments in the long run. With 3 days of early access, it is also the best option for hardcore players on PS4 that want to get on the ice as soon as possible."
NHL 19 Ultimate Edition (99,99€ / 99.99$)
On top of the content in the NHL 19 Legends Edition, the Ultimate Edition includes:
An additional 20 Hockey Ultimate Team Packs (total: 2 per week for 20 weeks)
As with the Legends edition, it is not available in retail stores and can only be obtained digitally on PSN and Xbox Live, with access on September 11.
Digital preorders:
PSN (EU)
PSN (US)
Xbox Live
NHLGamer thinks: "Most likely the option that is most difficult to justify. We believe it's best suited for hardcore HUT players that have money to spend and don't want to miss out on 20 additional HUT packs for 10€/20$ more. Considering EA's HUT strategy during recent years, this money could also be spent on limited time special packs that have a higher chance of top draws, guaranteed collectibles or other goodies, and will start to appear about a month after release."
EA Access Play First Trial (Xbox One only, 3,99€ / 4.99$ per month)
With EA Access, Xbox One players have an additional option of playing NHL 19 early. At 4€/5$ for a 1 month subscription, it allows you to access NHL 19 on September 6 as well as a couple of other trials like FIFA 19 and Battlefield 5 and a selection of older EA games in the EA Vault. Keep in mind though: You can only play each trial for a total of 10 hours! For more details about EA Access, click here.
NHLGamer thinks: "If you're playing on Xbox One and you are not interested in playing Hockey Ultimate Team, but want to be one of the first to start playing NHL 19, grabbing one month of EA access together with the NHL 19 Standard Edition seems to be the best mix - especially if you have some love for other EA games as well. And if HUT happens to be one of your favourite game modes, pick up the Legends or Ultimate Edition afterwards to increase your head start even further."
Were we able to help you with your buying decision? Let us know in the comments below and don't forget to share your choice with everyone else!
@gzell60