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Hughes brothers team up for EA Sports ‘NHL 25’ cover

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NDAQ:EA
22 August 2024 14:41 (EST)
Jack, Quinn and Luke Hughes pose for EA Sports "NHL 25" game

(Source: EA Sports)

NHL star siblings Quinn Hughes, Jack Hughes and Luke Hughes were named Thursday as cover athletes for Electronic Arts’ (NDAQ:EA) upcoming EA Sports “NHL 25” video game.

The Hughes brothers will be the first siblings to feature on an EA Sports cover together, and the company’s news release describes “their play on the ice (as) personifying NHL 25’s significant evolution in gameplay intelligence.”

“We feel incredibly honored to be on the cover of ‘NHL 25,’” Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes said in a statement. “Being featured alongside my brothers is the sort of thing you dream about as a kid but could never imagine happening in real life.”

Hughes, the oldest of the brothers at 24, is coming off his best season with 17 goals, 75 assists and 92 points in 82 games while winning the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenceman.

“It was a very proud moment for all of us when we saw the Deluxe cover,” New Jersey Devils centre Jack Hughes, 23, who had 27 goals, 47 assists and 74 points in 62 games last season, said in a statement. “It reminded us that on the ice, we’re competitors, always learning from each other, but off the ice, we’re brothers who love to play hockey.”

Developed by EA Vancouver, the latest iteration of the popular game will be available on PlayStation5 and Xbox Series X|S on Oct. 4.

“Being on the cover with my brothers is incredibly exciting,” New Jersey Devils defenceman Luke Hughes said in a statement. “We have a one-of-a-kind hockey story growing up together and now a one-of-a-kind cover. We can’t wait for fans to experience NHL 25.”

Luke, 20, had nine goals, 38 assists and 47 points in his first NHL season and finished third voting for the Calder Trophy awarded to the NHL’s top rookie.

In its news release, Electronic Arts stated “NHL 25” was built on an all-new logic-driven animation system and responds to contextual events with unprecedented realism. “Next-Gen Vision Control skating allows players to walk the blue line, square up to the puck carrier, stay locked on goal and much more. The empowered AI helps players execute authentic plays with a refreshed playbook that improves power plays and opens up the ice for better overall positioning and offensive opportunities,” it stated. “Plus, Reactive Actions utilizes a series of new animations to make skaters more responsive in critical situations, increasing their urgency, collision avoidance and reliability.”

“The new ICE-Q gameplay system represents a foundational shift in how players will experience the game, with its deep intelligence giving them complete control of the ice,” Mike Inglehart, senior game design director at EA Vancouver, said in a statement. “Hockey is built different, with ‘NHL 25’ delivering greater authenticity, bigger team rivalries and inspired by the sport’s next-generation superstars who continue to redefine the game.”

With headquarters in Redwood City, California, and studios all over the world, Electronic Arts is a digital interactive entertainment company that develops, markets, publishes and delivers games, content and services that can be played by consumers on a range of platforms such as game consoles, personal computers, mobile phones and tablets.

Shares of Electronic Arts Inc. (NDAQ:EA) were down 1.77 per cent, trading at US$147.10 at 2:14 pm ET.

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(Top photo of, from left, Jack, Quinn and Luke Hughes: Electronic Arts)


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