Electronic Arts have announced that when NHL 22 hits the ice this October, players will notice a new addition to the game, Superstar X-Factors, which aims to bring forth the power and personality of some of the games biggest stars.

X-Factors are abilities that allow you to bring out the potential of your player and the game offers a few of them, in fact every player that has an X-Factor has one specific Zone ability, as well as a set of Superstar abilities that can truly help them dominate on the ice.

X-Factors are fully integrated across game modes in NHL 22, in different ways that make the abilities shine and make a tangible difference on the ice. A specific group will get special upgradeable versions called Power-up player items in Ultimate Team; these items have a lower OVR (rating) than the usual items, but they can be upgraded to at least +1 of the base OVR. They can be upgraded to an even higher OVR throughout the season based on live content and unlock new abilities and options. Upgrade Power-up items in HUT with Coins or special Power-up collectable items.

Earn X-Factors for your World of Chel player and upgrade them with Boosts as you progress. In Be A Pro, choose a specific storyline and path, then complete challenges of varying difficulty and length to unlock X-Factor abilities.

Franchise mode has new X-Factor notes on both pro and amateur scouting reports, adding more nuance to the Fog of War system. Use X-Factor reports for team management; putting players with different abilities on the line together can boost line chemistry and make for powerful, game-changing combos.

The X-Factor will also carry across to the versions of the game that you can get, as purchasing that will grant you early access to the game, but more importantly, both last-gen and next-gen versions of the game, both on Xbox and PlayStation.