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NHL 25 Cover Athletes and Release Date: The Hughes Brothers

The Hughes brothers are NHL 25’s cover athletes. Cover art varies by edition and market, and the game launched October 4, 2024 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
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Quinn, Jack and Luke Hughes are the cover athletes for NHL 25, announced by EA on August 22, 2024. The game launched October 4, 2024, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The cover differs by edition and market: Jack appears on the U.S. Standard Edition, Quinn on the Canadian release, and all three brothers on the Deluxe Edition.

Who is on the NHL 25 cover?

The three Hughes brothers—Quinn, Jack and Luke—were named as the athletes for NHL 25. EA described them as the first siblings to appear together on an EA SPORTS cover. EA’s announcement framed their on-ice play as representing the game’s evolution in gameplay intelligence.

Which Hughes brother is on each cover?

The reported cover art depends on the edition and market, rather than showing the same athlete on every package.

Edition or market Cover athletes
U.S. Standard Edition Jack Hughes
Canadian release Quinn Hughes
Deluxe Edition Quinn, Jack and Luke Hughes

These distinctions come from NHL.com’s report; they describe the covers reported for those editions and markets, not a complete map of packaging in every territory.

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#1 Best Overall
NHL 25 PlayStation 5
  • ICE-Q - This is true hockey intelligence. Built on an all-new logic-driven animation system, ICE-Q responds to contextual events on the ice with unprecedented authenticity and is the foundation of Chel’s gameplay overhaul.
  • SKILL BASED ONE-TIMERS – Skill Based One-Timers create authentic gameplay tension as offensive excitement and expectation mix with defensive concern and anticipation, each pass creating unique moments and opportunities for high-scoring probability shots.
  • GRUDGE MATCH - Hockey is at its best when the competition is fierce. The all-new Grudge Match System tracks the history of matchups between teams across all major online and offline modes in NHL 25 to add more context, stakes and heat to showdowns with your rivals.
  • NEXT-GEN CHARACTERS - The next best thing to the real thing. Thanks to the introduction of Sapien Technology to the NHL franchise and the power of our Frostbite Engine on next-gen consoles, all of NHL 25’s in-game characters have received a serious visual overhaul.

When did NHL 25 come out, and on which platforms?

EA announced an October 4, 2024 launch date, and the game launched worldwide that day for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. EA’s launch announcement confirms those console families. The cited announcements do not list PS4, Xbox One or PC as launch platforms.

What did EA announce about gameplay and the Deluxe Edition?

ICE-Q gameplay framing

EA called ICE-Q a new gameplay intelligence system and positioned it as the foundation of NHL 25’s gameplay overhaul. That is EA’s description of the feature, not an independent measurement of gameplay improvements. Details appear in EA’s gameplay overview.

Rank #2
NHL 25
  • This is true hockey intelligence; Built on an all-new logic-driven animation system, ICE-Q responds to contextual events on the ice with unprecedented authenticity and is the foundation of Chel’s gameplay overhaul
  • An on-ice evolution; Next-Gen Vision Control provides fresh abilities, improvements, and a user-initiated skating mode that ups the responsiveness, explosiveness, and expression on the ice for human and AI players alike
  • A completely overhauled AI player system heightens CPU skaters’ awareness of other players & positioning on the ice, giving them more fluid & helpful reads to execute in a true-to-life fashion, keeping your tactics in motion during high-paced action
  • Skill Based One-Timers create authentic gameplay tension as offensive excitement and expectation mix with defensive concern and anticipation, each pass creating unique moments and opportunities for high-scoring probability shots
  • Hockey is at its best when the competition is fierce; The all-new Grudge Match System tracks the history of matchups between teams across all major online and offline modes in NHL 25 to add more context, stakes and heat to showdowns with your rivals

Historical Deluxe Edition offer

EA’s 2024 announcement described the Deluxe Edition as including seven days of early access, 4,600 NHL Points, and in-game HUT and World of Chel items. The early-access period was tied to the 2024 launch and is no longer a future access window.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1
Bestseller No. 2
NHL 25
NHL 25
$24.99
Bestseller No. 3
Bestseller No. 4
Bestseller No. 5
NHL 24 - PlayStation 5
NHL 24 - PlayStation 5
EA SPORTS NHL 24’s all-new gameplay features bring authentic on-ice action to life.; Some features may require an internet connection and an online subscription.
$12.10
Best Value
NHL 24 - PlayStation 5
  • EA SPORTS NHL 24’s all-new gameplay features bring authentic on-ice action to life.
  • Experience the rush and fatigue of a high-pressure game with the Exhaust Engine, where sustained pressure in the attack zone leads to new game-changing effects.
  • Chel is more connected than ever with cross-play in all online team play modes, along with HUT Moments, which lets you recreate classic moments in hockey history and today’s biggest plays.
  • Flex Moments introduces 75+ new goal celebrations, and a wholly refreshed presentation complements an enriched crowd atmosphere that makes playing the game feel like you’re at the game.
  • Some features may require an internet connection and an online subscription.
Rank #4
NHL 25 - For PlayStation 5
  • ICE-Q: This is true hockey intelligence. Built on an all-new logic-driven animation system, ICE-Q responds to contextual events on the ice with unprecedented authenticity and is the foundation of Chel’s gameplay overhaul. The result? A trio of new features that give players more control over the action than ever before, a major upgrade to the reliability and accuracy of CPU players, and a massive new animation set that makes gameplay a more seamless and realistic experience.
  • SKILL BASED ONE-TIMERS: Read the attacking zone, find an open teammate, and be rewarded with a deadly one-timer you can see, feel, and hear the impact of. Skill Based One-Timers create authentic gameplay tension as offensive excitement and expectation mix with defensive concern and anticipation, each pass creating unique moments and opportunities for high-scoring probability shots.
  • GRUDGE MATCH: Hockey is at its best when the competition is fierce. The all-new Grudge Match System tracks the history of matchups between teams across all major online and offline modes in NHL 25 to add more context, stakes and heat to showdowns with your rivals.
  • NEXT-GEN CHARACTERS: The next best thing to the real thing. Thanks to the introduction of Sapien Technology to the NHL franchise and the power of our Frostbite Engine on next-gen consoles, all of NHL 25’s in-game characters have received a serious visual overhaul. That includes new cloth warp and strand hair updates that deliver authentic, lifelike models.
  • HUT GAME MODE: The all-new Wildcard Mode implements unique rulesets per competition cycle, keeping players on their toes and ready to adapt with each and every cycle. Plus, all of the XP earned in Squad Battles, Rivals, and Wild Card are now combined into a single progression path, meaning that every HUT mode rewards you the same, no matter where you play.
Rank #3
MLB The Show 25 – PS5
  • Road to The Show: Begin your RTTS journey by playing High School and College games in The Amateur Years. Build the RTTS ballplayer you want, the way you want to. Craft Perks to your liking and utilize a revamped attribute progression system for full control of your player's development
  • Franchise March to October: A revitalized Free Agency system with risk/reward elements that add strategy, immersion, and excitement to the pursuit of the top free agents each offseason. Enjoy every moment of every game – or choose the key moments that matter, now with improvements to both Player Valuation Logic and Contract Logic.
  • Expanded Diamond Dynasty and more: Collect and earn player cards in Diamond Dynasty: 360, as you craft your very own lineup with no more time-limited season restrictions. Try out Diamond Quest with your squad! It’s a brand-new roguelike board game mode, where rewards are yours to earn through moments, boss encounters and more.
  • Gameplay Improvements and Expansion: Experience exciting new gameplay in all modes: featuring a variety of all-new RTTS Impact Plays, G.O.A.T difficulty for the ultimate challenge, all-new Ambush Hitting for a more realistic “plan of attack” at the plate, faster online gameplay and hundreds of new animations for extreme realism and much more!
  • Visual Improvements: Appreciate incredible high fidelity when you play on a PS5 console including updated dirt and grass, combined with real-time physics, making for an advanced level of detail.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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