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NHL 18’s new Threes mode is about space, speed and intensity

The NHL 18 closed beta is now live on Xbox One and PS4, and with it, the franchise’s newest game mode: NHL Threes.

Stevivor recently sat down with Senior Producer, Sean Ramjagsingh, to discuss the new mode, in which three players face off against another team of three.

“With the new generation of young superstars like McDavid, Matthews and Laine, it’s an exciting time to be a hockey fan,” Ramjagsingh began. “They demonstrate the speed, skill and creativity of today’s NHL and our goal was to bring that to the virtual ice.

“To that end, we took inspiration from 3-on-3 hockey as an expression of that excitement. We knew we wanted to create something that was unique but also grounded in authenticity.”

The result is a game that’s faster, more powerful and exhilarating, according to Ramjagsingh.

“The team started tinkering with the game to produce a fast paced, hard- hitting experience — in a smaller rink at that — and we loved the over the top experience. The next step was to add things like Threes Circuit mode and the ability to play head to head online, to add depth to the mode. It was very important that Threes felt like a part of the game that players can enjoy time and again.”

That all said, Ramjagsingh asserted that the fun of Threes doesn’t come at a cost to realism. To that end, players shouldn’t expect over-the-top options like a Big Head mode.

“Our goal was to create a unique, over the top experience that is still grounded in authenticity,” Ramjagsingh said. “A Big Head mode didn’t feel like a fit given that criteria.”

The NHL 18 closed beta runs until 1 August on Xbox One and PS4. NHL 18 will be available in full on both consoles from 15 September.


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About the author

Steve Wright

Steve's the owner of this very site and an active games journalist nearing twenty (TWENTY!?!) years. He's a Canadian-Australian gay gaming geek, ice hockey player and fan. Husband to Matt and cat dad to Wally and Quinn.