update, they confirmed the game's later-than-usual release date as well as a late August reveal event for the game. They also mentioned that the game would be released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles only, but would be available to play on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S through forward compatibility once those consoles are released in November 2020. The game's reveal trailer was premiered on August 24, which also revealed its global cover athlete, Washington Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin, who previously appeared on the cover art for NHL 07. Prior to the reveal event, EA Vancouver opened a registration for a private beta test that players could freely sign up for. The test was due to begin on August 28, but was postponed after some matches during the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs were also postponed due to boycotts by players from both the NHL and NBA regarding ongoing police brutality. The test went live on August 31, and the World of Chel and Online Versus modes were made available for it. The test concluded at 12:00 a.m. PT on September 4. Prior to the game's worldwide release, EA Play members were allowed to play a free 10-hour long trial version of the game, starting on October 8, 2020. NHL 21 released worldwide on October 16, 2020. Three pre-order tiers for it were made available for purchase prior to the release; a standard edition, deluxe edition, and ultimate edition dubbed the "Great Eight Edition" after Ovechkin's nickname. Each tier featured a certain amount of items such as Hockey Ultimate Team packs and World of Chel customization item bags, with different amounts of each item being offered with each tier. The Great Eight Edition also granted three days of early access gameplay. Reception According to review aggregator website Metacritic, the PlayStation 4 version of NHL 21 received "mixed or average reviews" from critics, while the Xbox One version received "generally favorable reviews". IGN gave the game a 6.0/10, and wrote: "NHL 21 is at its best when I'm playing the wacky modes in World of Chel or the new HUT Rush where I can just go end-to-end while trying to pull off skill moves. The new Be A Pro additions are also significant and help to get that single-player experience more in line with other modern sports games. However, it's aggravating that during this whole console generation EA