On November 22nd, the National Hockey League announced it was making extensive changes to the format of its esports calendar. On top of that, the organization also unveiled it had rebranded its esports championship.
Previously, the league’s flagship tournament was called the NHL Gaming World Championship. Now, the competition will be known as the EA Sports NHL 23 World Championship.
Additionally, this tournament will be returning to an in-person format. The global championship will take place live in Nashville, Tennessee next June to coincide with the NHL Awards and the 2023 NHL Draft.
That’s not the only change expected for the competitive NHL video game landscape. Starting this year, for the first time, all 32 NHL teams will host their own tournaments with each club crowning a champion. Once those tournaments conclude, each champion will represent their respective franchise at the EA Sports NHL 23 World Championship.
“Expanded programming in NHL markets and participation from all 32 Clubs has always been our ultimate objective as we continue to grow the NHL gaming ecosystem”, said Chris Golier, NHL Group Vice President of Business Development and Technology Partnerships. “As we head into the EA SPORTS NHL 23 World Championship season, we are excited to provide more global opportunities for players to compete at the highest level, more consistent social engagement across NHL platforms, and the culmination of funnel tournaments at NHL signature events to showcase the skills of our players to our enthusiastic CHEL community.”
Registration for the EA Sports NHL 23 World Championship and other events will officially open on December 8th. If you’re interested in signing up, click here.
(All information was provided by NHL.com and The Hockey News)
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