NHL 27: How to Play Early & Deluxe Edition Contents

Play seven days early!

NHL 27 arena presentation featuring the Buffalo Sabres pregame entrance, with illuminated crossed swords, blue lighting, smoke effects, and players skating onto the ice before a packed crowd.
NHL 27 arena presentation featuring the Buffalo Sabres pregame entrance, with illuminated crossed swords, blue lighting, smoke effects, and players skating onto the ice before a packed crowd.
Aakash Regmi
By Aakash RegmiContributor

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  • Primary Subject: Release schedule, pre-order bonuses, and early access methods for NHL 27.
  • Key Update: NHL 27 launches worldwide on September 11, 2026, featuring Macklin Celebrini as the youngest cover star in franchise history.
  • Status: Pre-orders are live.
  • Last Verified: July 22, 2026.
  • Quick Answer: You can play NHL 27 early by purchasing the $99 / £99.99 Deluxe Edition for 7-day early access starting September 4, 2026, or by utilizing an EA Play subscription for a 10-hour trial.

NHL 27 will launch worldwide on September 11, 2026, and will be headlined by the youngest-ever cover star in the series, Macklin Celebrini.

For the most part, it’ll offer incremental improvements with several neat additions. Connected Franchise is the biggest feature, allowing you to host online franchise leagues with up to 32 human-controlled teams.

AI has also received improvements, but that is something you hear every year only for it to be rather insignificant. If you want to check out all the improvements earlier than other players, here's how to play NHL 27 early.

How To Play NHL 27 Early

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Credit: EA Sports

There are two ways to play NHL 27 early. For full game access seven days before release, you have to pre-purchase the Deluxe Edition of the game. 

The Deluxe Edition costs $99 / £99.99 and includes the following benefits:

  • 7 Days Early Access starting September 4 (Pre-Order Bonus)
  • Macklin Celebrini WOC Limited Loadout (Pre-Order Bonus)
  • HUT New Wave Celebrini Pack (Pre-Order Bonus)
  • 4,600 NHL Points
  • HUT Icon Choice Pack
  • HUT Heroes Choice Pack
  • HUT NHL Player Pack
  • HUT Fan Choice Pack (1 of 32 Teams – Arena & Coach)
  • 2× WOC Double XP Tokens

The game has only two editions, Standard and Deluxe.

The pre-order bonus for the Standard Edition is a HUT NHL Player Pack, 500 NHL Points, and 2× WOC Double XP Tokens. That's all you get with the Standard Edition, outside of the base game.

Another way to play the game early, for a limited time, is through an EA Play subscription. It's included in Game Pass Ultimate or separately for both Xbox and PS at $5.99 per month. 

EA Play members get a 10-hour trial to the game starting with the early access period. Like most games available through trial in the subscription, your progress will carry over. 

Keep in mind EA Play Pro is not available for consoles. The premium subscription tier is PC-only, and NHL continues to skip PC and remain console-exclusive. 

That's everything about playing NHL 27 early. We will keep you updated with the latest official news on the game. 

Stay tuned to RealSport101.com: The Home of Sports Gaming News, Guides, Leaks, and Reviews!