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Hey NHLGamers, Earlier this week EA SPORTS hosted a NHL 19 pre-launch event in Stockholm where invited guests got the opportunity to play the game before the upcoming release. This time it was me being lucky to attend at the event during the NHL 19 Producers Tour. Other NHLGamers attending were @The_Alpha_Furyan, @Darkic01 and @PillenUpp. I got the chance to interview the lead producer of the NHL Franchise, Sean Ramjagsingh. First off, I took the time to tell him that me and many others enjoyed the NHL 19 Beta a lot. I gave them credit for the skating in the game and for making the bots less overpowered. "Yeah, I agree. The bot stuff is mostly based on feedback from our fans. We started to change the behaviour of the bots when people played super conservative letting the bots do all the work. So we knew we had to make them more balanced", Ramjagsingh responded to NHLGamer.com at the NHL 19 event in Stockholm. Continue reading for the entire interview! Esdor: "How are EA going to promote NHL as an esport in the future?" Ramjagsingh: "We are still relatively new in the world of competitive gaming. We are pushing forward with Madden and FIFA right now but we took our first step this year with the World Gaming Championship. The NHL was in charge of that. This first tournament was mainly about testing and learning for us about how to host a big event. We got great feedback from the players participating. We got a feeling for the appetite of competitive gaming within the NHL Community. We were able to launch it in multiple different territories in North America and Europe as well. We got loads of feedback from the fans about what they want to see, what modes we should be using. Versus, Hockey Ultimate Team or EA SPORTS Hockey League. Now we will put our heads together with the NHL to figure out what is next." Esdor: "Is there an option to have one tournament in Versus and one in EASHL for example?" Ramjagsingh: "It's a great question. Tbd (to be determined) is probably the answer right now. We are still trying to figure out what our plan is moving forward. I think we saw great success with the individual versus experience, but when you look at what our community wants right now we see a lot of our core players asking for 6v6. When there are no bots involved, it's truly skill versus skill in that mode. We take all that into consideration as we build up our plans for the future." Esdor: "Have you considered hosting a tournament at an event like Dreamhack?" Ramjagsingh: "Tournaments is something that we look at when we decide about our competitive gaming strategy. All kind of tournaments kind of fall under competitive gaming - not only the World Gaming Championship -, but also smaller community tournaments, and tournaments for casual players as well." Esdor: "Will there be a challenge team option for playing 3v3 games in EASHL?" Ramjagsingh: "We are working on that right now. It's not there when the game is released, but it's on our roadmap for the upcoming months." Esdor: "Will the division packs be better this year in HUT?" Ramjagsingh: "We actually started fresh this year with a lot of our economy redesigned, and pack contents are a part of that. This year we are starting our players much much lower so there is more room to grow. We have reworked the content that is in all of our packs. So you can essentially get any of our best players from any pack available." Esdor: "Will you make it easier to apply many contracts at the same time in HUT?" Ramjagsingh: "We made some improvements there as well, to the contracts and the healing cards." Esdor: "Am I able to do giveaways as a streamer?" Ramjagsingh: "Giveaways are tbd. I don't have the latest information on that to let you know. I'm not sure where we stand at the moment when it comes to giveaways. The piece that we got to be careful is about the trades. Because people will exploit stuff if they can. It's not necessarily the streamers doing giveaways we want to find, it's more about the guys that abuse the system that we need to be careful with." Esdor: "Are wager matches possibly coming back again in the future?" Ramjagsingh: "No. We still stand by that - it's the gambling part of it that we want to stay away from." Esdor: "Have you thought about adding a logic that kicks idle players from HUT and Versus games?" Ramjagsingh: "We get that question a lot. Definitely something that we are looking at. We have been talking about players going idle in all different game modes, not just for Hockey Ultimate Team." Esdor: "Will you be able to see your opponents username before starting a match?" Ramjagsingh: "Yes you will. It's a challenge for us to make it work when people are dodging so much. People want to pick and choose their spots in some kind of try to maximize their time playing the game without taking losses. What we have done though is improving the matchmaking system. So hopefully you will get matched with someone that is at a similar skill level." Esdor: "What about cross-play between consoles when it comes to NHL?" Ramjagsingh: "That is up to Sony and Microsoft to decide. We are starting to see games like Fortnite making cross-platform possible, but that is a bigger conversation with our first party partners and not something that we can change on our own." Esdor: "Why is NHL not using the Frostbite engine like FIFA and Madden?" Ramjagsingh: "We will get there eventually. Moving over to Frostbite is almost like a console transition. It's a massive technology change. We are able to learn from FIFA and their transition to Frostbite, so we can have a smoother journey when we move over to Frostbite too. From a company perspective it's our one engine strategy, so it's just a matter of time. Now we are laying the ground work so we can hopefully get there in the near future." Esdor: "Why is there no feature that allows you to play a league together with your online friends?" Ramjagsingh: "It's something that we have heard from a lot of our fans actually, asking for tournaments or a feature where you can set up a league that track stats and things like that. This is something that we have on our to do list but there is no ETA (estimated time of arrival) yet. It is definitely something that we are looking into in the future." Esdor: "How come you can't take a timeout without going into the menus?" Ramjagsingh: "We are out of buttons, that is the main reason. There is not a faster way for us to do that. It's not ideal but we are just out of buttons." BarreBoza, @Darkic01, @esdor, Sean "Rammer" Ramjagsingh, Evan Dexter and @PillenUpp in Stockholm That's it from Stockholm, but stay tuned for our coverage from Helsinki, which should be dropping in the next few days! For NHLGamer.com @esdor

Hey NHLGamers, with NHL 19 approaching rapidly (EA Access trials on Xbox One will be opened up in just 5 days!), we have now received more insight into how all of the open beta feedback - including ours, thank you for submitting your opinions! - from the past few weeks was received. The following changes have been made for the full release of NHL 19: +++ NHL 19 Release Version (1.0.0) Gameplay Physics Fixes to physics tensions and joint limits Hip check improvements Improvements to stumble fall animations Various animation blend fixes during physics reactions Skating Improvements to stop animations and transitions from stop to stand Improvements to pivot direction consistency Various animation improvements Goalie Fixed a user goalie blend after passing the puck out Various fixes to saves where the pads were not flush to the ice Fixed a case where goalies would get stuck in free skate in Ones Fixed some known cases for users getting stuck in butterfly Poke Check Improvements to collision volumes to more accurately detect incidental stick on stick or stick on body contact Fixed some cases where the defensive player could contact the puck after their stick went through the puck carrier’s geometry Fixes to conditions where the blend out of a poke check was still causing trips Puck Pickups Fixed an issue to allow the player to pick up their own pass if it was blocked/deflected Improvements to interception balance based on player ratings Improvements to staying onside during pickups Various improvements to puck pickup animations Specializations Various fixes to specializations and traits General Improve player support to get to loose pucks Fixed various desyncs Protect puck stumble animations added Improvements to CPU behaviour on breakaways and shootouts Improve logic to prevent accidental manual RS Switching Various fixes to fighting and scrum alignment Fixes to faceoff alignment in World of CHEL Seen once the AI skater will remain idle behind the net Fixes to control hints in training camp Presentation Various fixes to overlays not clearing properly Improvements to multiplayer hugs Various camera fixes Fixes to cameras clipping with crowd and arena geometry Lighting and Material improvements/fixes. Player skin will now appear more accurate New cameras added for each of the venues within NHL Ones World of CHEL Fixed various desyncs when going into gameplay in 3v3 and 6v6 drop in Fixed various crashes in the Dressing Room while opening hockey bags Fixed various crashes while customizing in the dressing room while match making Fixed a soft lock in the post match up dressing room, when one user would open the loadout selection screen as the timer ran out +++ Furthermore, we have received a list of changes that did not make it in time for the disc release, but will be available as a day one update when you first start up NHL 19. +++ NHL 19 Day One Update (1.1.0) Gameplay General Disabled various player interactions (fights, scrums, instigations) during Ones To compliment the fix to the bug that allowed you to win a forehand draw while using the backhand grip we made some faceoff balance changes Backhand stick lift now beats the tieup Forehand stick lift now beats the Backhand stick lift Removed broken sticks from online modes Fixed cases where CPU players were still taking penalties in non player locked online games Goalies Improvements to AI goalies from sharp angles Poke Checking Fixed cases where poke checks were tripping a player after getting puck first Fixes to accuracy of poke checks on stationary/slow moving loose pucks Fixed a case where players were not being tripped after consecutive pokes Various additional poke check targeting fixes Uniforms NHL Anaheim Ducks 3rd Uniform EBEL EHC LIWEST Black Wings Linz Red Bull Salzburg Home and Away Vienna Capitals Home and Away Stadium Updates Updated scoreboard in the Prudential Center World of CHEL The game now defaults to preset home and away tops in 6v6 instead of user assigned casual tops. This resolves visual confusion during gameplay. Various changes to customization items for better in-game readability Fixed an issue where gameplay assets were being rendered in the main menu Fixed a case where the game would frequently hang when going into a 6v6 game of drop in Fixed rare crashes when rolling over to the dressing room after a match Fixed a rare crash in the post game screen due to Voip conflicts. Fixed a rare desync at the puck drop in Ones Fixed various issues where the game would crash when moving from one mode to another +++ What stands out most in our opinion are the changes applied to faceoffs as well as pokechecks. Even though a lot of players have been asking for the backhand-to-forehand switch to return, it is not coming back, and instead we are seeing adjustments to the 'rock papers scissors' mechanic as backhand sticklifts now beat the tie-up, and backhand sticklifts can be countered with forehand sticklifts. Furthermore, we are seeing another increase in punishing bad pokechecks by fixing rare occasions where a stick going through a skater's body did not result in a trip, while at the same time pokecheck targeting seems to have been improved. We expect these changes to reward good defensive positioning even further, now that the RNG aspect has been toned down. What do you think of the changelogs above? Did EA SPORTS meet your expectations? @gzell60

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