Back in 2014, as the first NHL game from EA Sports on the current generation of consoles was set to launch, it had become known that the company had reassigned developers from NHL 15 to help with their first game with the UFC license.

It was a decision that didn’t sit well with critics and fans alike as it sent a message that the NHL series wasn’t important to the company.

Now, five years later, EA Sports is putting more effort towards building the NHL franchise, starting with NHL 20.

Persons close to the development of the game have told Sports Gamers Online that management added extra developers at EA Vancouver to assist with the build of NHL 20. This transition, according to one person with direct knowledge, took place shortly after the release of NHL 19 last September.

“With the next generation of systems coming, EA is determined not to make the same mistakes again,” the source said. “They want a smooth transition, and don’t want to spend years recovering from the jump.”

It’s unknown how many people were moved over to the NHL team, but most, SGO is told, are working on NHL 20 while only a few staffers have started working on the move to the next-gen consoles.

NHL 20, which will launch in September, is expected to be revealed in June at the 2019 NHL Awards. Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is the frontrunner to be named the cover athlete for this year’s game.

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