EA Sports offered a development update on NHL 21 this week, confirming the game has been delayed by one month. Traditionally, the newest installment in the hockey video game franchise releases in September, but with everyone's schedule thrown off due to the coronavirus pandemic, NHL 21 has been pushed back to October.
EA actually maintained that the shift to a work form home model hasn't necessarily impacted development of the game, but they are using this extra time to allow for more polish, fine tuning and bug fixing. While NHL 20 received favorable scores from critics, it has been bombed by users complaining about glitches and bugs. Suffice to say, hopefully the extra month ensures a more polished experience with NHL 21.
"We know some of you will be disappointed by this news, but our goal with NHL 21 is to deliver an experience that will be worth the wait," EA stated. Our first look at NHL 21 will come in late August, so we won't have to wait too much longer to see what kind of improvements are in store.
In addition to addressing the release date, EA also talked about platforms. NHL 21 is being developed with a "focus on adding innovation and new features rather than the resource-heavy task of porting the game to new console technology." In other words, the game is being developed with a primary focus on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 to ensure as smooth of a gameplay experience as possible. However, it will be made available for Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 through "forward compatibility." So while you'll be able to play the game on next-gen consoles, don't expect some huge graphical upgrade.
Presumably, this also means the forward compatibility upgrade will be free for those who purchase the game on Xbox One or PS4 and move on to Xbox Series X or PS5. EA has offered a Dual Entitlement program for Madden 21, allowing free next-gen upgrades for those who buy the game on current gen consoles.