NHL23 Release Week: A Move Towards Gender Equality, Diversity, & Inclusivity

It is officially NHL23 release week!

The 2023 instalment of EA’s annual NHL series is set to launch globally on October 14, 2022, and, for the first time, includes female hockey players. Specifically, IIHF Women’s National Team members are included in the game for the first time in EA’s 30+ year production of its NHL video game series. Although the inclusion of female players is a positive step for EA towards gender equality and diversity, their inclusion in NHL23 is not without controversy. Three major complaints have been discussed at large by the gaming community: (1) EA’s choice for NHL23’s cover athletes (and their attire), (2) the limitation on use of female players, and (3) comparative ratings between male and female players. First, the Twitter community has made numerous comments that cover athletes Trevor Zegras and Sarah Nurse are not the correct choices for the face of EA’s NHL series. Specifically, displeased fans note that neither Zegras nor Nurse were among the “top” or “most popular” choices, while others complain that the cover athletes sporting “street gear” in front of palm trees and clear skies is a poor reflection of the NHL. Second, and more concerningly, the inclusion of female players appears initially limited, as they will seemingly only be available in one game mode: Hockey Ultimate Team (“HUT”). Although it remains to be seen whether female players will be available in additional modes, initial reviews indicate that only male players will be available for use in common game modes such as “Franchise” and “Be a Pro”. Lastly, given that both male and female players will be available for use in HUT (and both will be available for use on the same team), there is debate about whether the top female players should have unscaled ratings that rival the top male NHL players. For example, the top female player in the game is Marie-Philip Poulin, who is a 94 overall. Comparatively, the top male player in the game is Connor McDavid, who is a 95 overall. Thus, public discourse has asked whether the top NHL players should have a competitive ratings edge over their female counterparts. In conclusion, although the decision to include female players in NHL23 is a positive and correct move for the EA franchise, it will be interesting to see whether any adjustments are made to female players (from a ratings and game mode perspective) and how NHL23 sales measure up against its predecessors.

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