EA SPORTS™ NHL® 27 - WHAT’S NEW IN WORLD OF CHEL

What’s new in World of Chel? Read on to find out

BREAKDOWN

• EARNABLE PROGRESSION & CATCH-UP MECHANISM
• WOC SYSTEMS TUNING
• FREE SEASON PASS REWARDS
• DLX ED. PRE-ORDER BONUS - MACKLIN CELEBRINI WOC LIMITED LOADOUT
• WORLD OF CHEL FEEDBACK

For World of Chel in NHL 27, we are delivering upgrades to character progression, loadout tuning, and introducing brand-new rewards in the FREE Season Pass. 

Here are all the new additions and updates coming your way.

EARNABLE PROGRESSION & CATCH-UP MECHANISM

Earnable progression items are moving front-and-center into the Free Season Pass, giving every user a path to build their ultimate hockey player.

1. Ability Point (AP) Bonuses

Ability Points (AP) dictate how many X-Factors and the tier of X-factor you can equip on your player.

• Earnable in the FREE Season Pass: As you play and progress through each season's Free Season Pass, you’ll earn AP Bonus rewards.
• Instant Auto-Equip: Once acquired, AP Bonuses are automatically added to your overall AP capacity, instantly opening up possibilities for higher-tier X-Factors and more versatile ability combinations.

2. Skill Point (SP) Bonuses

Skill Points allow you to fine-tune foundational attributes like Speed, Wrist Shot Power, and Stick Checking.

• Earnable in the FREE Season Pass‡: SP Bonuses are unlockable for everyone for free.
• Targeted Category Upgrades: Once earned, SP Bonuses apply directly to your SP total within specific attribute categories:
  • Technique
  • Power
  • Playstyle
  • Tenacity
  • Tactics
  • Goalie Categories:
    • Low
    • Hands
    • Quickness
    • Positioning
• You can distribute these bonus points within those categories to customize your player to your exact playstyle.

3. Attribute Cap Increases

Want to push your player beyond standard limits? Attribute Cap Increases allow you to raise the ceiling on your favorite attributes.

• Breaking the Ceiling: Attribute Cap Increases do not automatically grant free points; instead, they increase the maximum potential for that attribute.
• Earnable via FREE Season Pass: Cap Increases will be available throughout each season.
• Attribute-Specific & Balanced: Cap Increases are tied directly to individual attributes. The Attribute Cap for Season 1 will be increased by a maximum of +2. 

4. Catch-Up Mechanism

There is a way for new or returning players to catch up without falling behind players who earned rewards in earlier seasons.

• Never Fall Behind: Starting in Season 2 through Season 6, dedicated "catch-up" objectives will be introduced.
• Earn Missed Rewards: Completing catch-up objectives awards a special in-game currency. This currency can be redeemed to unlock ALL AP Bonuses, SP Bonuses, and Attribute Cap Increases from past seasons. Each season will have its own unique currency.
• Objectives Stay Active For All Seasons: If you join World of Chel in Season 5, previous season catch-up objectives will still be waiting for you. You can acquire 100% of missed AP, SP, and Cap Increases.

5. Season Pass Rewards - Season 1

Note: The fastest way to make progress in the Season Pass is by completing Weekly, Seasonal, and Event Objectives.

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WOC SYSTEMS TUNING

In NHL 27, we're recalibrating core physical attributes and X-Factor AP costs to bring strategic tradeoffs back to squad building.

Height & Weight Physics Overhaul

Physical attributes now have a clearer impact on your player's physical and technical capabilities:

• Strategic Choice: A player's physical dimensions involve trade-offs. Taller players benefit from enhanced Stick Checking, Durability, and Fighting Skill. However, this comes at the cost of reduced Speed, Agility, Acceleration, and Deking ability. Similarly, heavier players gain advantages in Balance, Strength, and Body Checking power, but those advantages negatively impact their Agility, Acceleration, and Endurance.

X-Factor AP Cost Adjustments

• X-Factor Costs: AP costs for all X-Factors have been re-tuned. Combinations have been re-priced to reflect their impact on the ice.
• Specialist vs. Generalist: Players will have to make meaningful choices. Do you stack several lower-cost generalist perks, or invest heavily in high-tier specialist X-Factors?
• Custom Loadout Class Re-tuning: Base player classes have been re-tuned to ensure every archetype has a distinct role in 3v3 and 6v6 play.

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FREE SEASON PASS REWARDS

In addition to AP, SP, and Cap Increases, NHL Player Loadouts will continue to be earnable inside the FREE Season Pass. You can unlock and play as your favorite real-world NHL superstars in World of Chel modes throughout the year.

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DLX ED. PRE-ORDER BONUS - MACKLIN CELEBRINI WOC LIMITED LOADOUT

Time is running out to secure a head start in World of Chel. Pre-order the NHL 27 Deluxe Edition today to get 7 Days Early Access, starting on September 4, a Macklin Celebrini WOC Limited Loadout, and more.

WORLD OF CHEL FEEDBACK

As WOC goes live in NHL 27, we’ll be closely monitoring our Feedback Portal, community platforms like Reddit and Discord, game telemetry, and competitive trends to shape our post-launch updates. 

We can’t wait to hear your feedback when you hit the ice for Early Access on September 4 or when NHL 27 officially launches worldwide on September 11, 2026.

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EA SPORTS™ NHL® 27 is now available for pre-order on PlayStation®5 and XBOX Series X|S. Stay in the conversation by following on X, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.

‡Season Pass content requires gameplay to unlock