NHL 22 will be the next game in EA Sports' long-running hockey franchise, and it's got both a Standard Edition and X-Factor Edition to tempt fans. As with most modern games, NHL 22's publisher wants players to pre-order ahead of the release date. To entice those pre-orders, EA Sports has put together two editions that each come with several different bonuses to help sweeten the pot.
There is some crossover between the two, but knowing what's in each version is important if players want to maximize their dollar value. After all, there's no sense paying for a bunch of extra Hockey Ultimate Team (HUT) items that will never be used if someone doesn't play that mode. One of the most important places the two editions differ is on price. On last-gen consoles, the standard edition costs $59.99. The same edition costs $69.99 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Finally, EA Sports is selling the X-Factor Edition at $99.99 on either console.
The reason the NHL 22 X-Factor version doesn't have a price difference between the console generations is that it comes with dual entitlement. That means picking it up on one generation gives access to the other. So, if someone is planning to upgrade to a PS5 or Xbox X|S later this year, that might be the edition for them.
What Is The Difference Between NHL 22's Editions
NHL 22's Standard Edition comes with two HUT Diamond Player Choice Packs. That means, two high-rated players to help get started on the HUT journey. On top of that, players will get five World of Chel X-Factor Zone Ability unlocks and two Be A Pro X-Factor Slot unlocks. Considering this is the first year NHL is incorporating Madden's game-changing X-Factor skills, it makes sense to highlight these in the pre-order bonuses. Finally, players get one unlocked Hockey Bag.
The NHL 22 X-Factor Edition also comes with everything listed above, plus even more. Not only do players get 10 HUT Player Packs as opposed to the Standard Edition's two, but they also get five Hockey Bags. Additionally, those players will get several more HUT-specific packs centered around X-Factors. But one of the biggest benefits of NHL 22's X-Factor Edition is that those players get three-day early access to the game.
Anyone who wants to play NHL 22 obviously doesn't need to pick up either of these editions. Even if someone's game mode of choice is HUT, they'll be able to make all of these bonuses up relatively quickly just by playing the game. The only significant thing someone is losing by not pre-ordering is the three days early access. That could have an impact if someone wants to compete at the top-end out of the gate, but it likely won't hurt most players too much otherwise.
NHL 22 is slated to release on October 15 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.