Electronic Arts, one of the world’s largest video game publishers, has announced plans to discontinue online multiplayer services for two of its popular hockey simulation titles. NHL 22 and NHL 23 will lose all online functionality on August 31, 2025, marking another chapter in the company’s ongoing consolidation of legacy game servers. This decision follows closely on the heels of EA’s recent move to end support for the Nintendo Switch version of Apex Legends in early August, signaling a broader pattern of the publisher trimming older services from its portfolio.
The shutdown will affect all online modes in both games, including popular features such as Hockey Ultimate Team (HUT), online versus matches, World of Chel, and any other network-dependent gameplay options. Players who have invested significant time and money into building their Ultimate Team rosters will no longer be able to access these modes once the servers go offline. Single-player modes, including franchise mode and offline play against AI opponents, will remain functional for those who wish to continue playing.
The Business of Server Shutdowns
Server shutdowns for sports games have become an annual tradition in the gaming industry, particularly for EA Sports titles that release new iterations every year. The company typically maintains online services for approximately two to three years after a game’s initial release before transitioning resources to newer versions. NHL 22 launched in October 2021, while NHL 23 arrived in October 2022, meaning both titles have received roughly the standard support window that players have come to expect. From EA’s perspective, maintaining servers for multiple generations of essentially the same game franchise creates unnecessary overhead costs while fragmenting the player base across different versions.
However, this practice has drawn consistent criticism from consumer advocacy groups and gaming communities. Critics argue that when a significant portion of a game’s value proposition relies on online features, the eventual removal of those features effectively renders the product incomplete. This is particularly contentious when players have spent additional money on microtransactions, such as purchasing packs for Hockey Ultimate Team, only to see those investments evaporate when servers shut down.
Impact on the Gaming Community
The NHL gaming community has expressed mixed reactions to the announcement. Some players accept server shutdowns as an inevitable part of the annual sports game cycle and have already migrated to NHL 24 or are anticipating NHL 25. Others, particularly those who prefer specific gameplay mechanics from older titles or who cannot afford to purchase new games annually, feel abandoned by the publisher. The situation highlights an ongoing debate in the gaming industry about digital ownership and the long-term accessibility of purchased content. Unlike physical sports equipment or board games, digital games with online components have a built-in expiration date determined entirely by the publisher.
Industry analysts note that EA’s approach mirrors practices across the sports gaming genre. Competing franchises from publishers like 2K Sports follow similar patterns with their NBA and WWE titles. The economic reality is that maintaining servers costs money, and publishers see little financial incentive in supporting games that no longer generate significant revenue through sales or microtransactions. The announcement also comes at a time when EA has been restructuring various aspects of its business, making strategic decisions about where to allocate development and infrastructure resources for maximum return on investment.
Looking Ahead
Players who still wish to experience NHL hockey gaming online will need to transition to NHL 24, which launched in October 2023, or wait for the upcoming NHL 25. EA has not indicated any plans to offer compensation or migration options for players affected by the server closures. As the August 31 deadline approaches, remaining NHL 22 and NHL 23 players are encouraged to enjoy their final weeks of online play and consider backing up any saved data they wish to preserve for offline modes.
Expert Opinion: This server shutdown continues a troubling pattern in the gaming industry where consumers effectively lease online features rather than own them outright. While EA’s two-to-three-year support window is consistent with industry norms, growing regulatory interest in digital consumer rights in both the EU and US could eventually force publishers to reconsider these practices or provide clearer disclosure about service lifespans at the point of purchase.
