Register and Compete to Win a Share of the $100,000 USD Prize Pool; EA SPORTS NHL 22 Players Can Compete on Four Consoles; European Tournament Will Feature Region-Specific Qualifiers to Jump the Queue; In-Person Final Events Return
Julie Young | NHL Public RelationsMarch 1, 2022https://www.nhl.com/video/embed/t-277350912/c-10687804?autostart=false
Tournament Format Explainer Video
NEW YORK/TORONTO (March 1, 2022) – The National Hockey League today announced that registration for the 2022 NHL Gaming World Championship™ – featuring the best EA SPORTS™ NHL® 22 players in the world – now is open. Players will vie for their share of the $100,000 USD prize pool and the opportunity to call themselves a Chel Champion.
Similar to last season, the 2022 NHL® Gaming World Championship™ will consist of two separate tournaments with a Champion being crowned in both North America and Europe. Gamers will have the opportunity to play on one of four consoles through the Console Finals – Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 – following which, all game play will be on the PlayStation 5 console for the applicable Championship rounds. While tournament early rounds will be contested remotely, plans are being made to host both Championship events in-person.
Chris Golier, NHL Vice President of Business Development and Innovation speaks with NHL.com’s Dan O’Leary on the tournament’s new features, exciting opportunities and what fans can expect from NHL GWC Season Five.
The NHL GWC – Europe brings a new and exciting tournament format to life. It features more chances to play, with the addition of regional-based European Qualifier tournaments that will allow players to bypass the Online Open Play queue and advance directly to the European Console Final. While both the first- and second-place players ultimately will advance, only the European Qualifier winners will take home the $500 USD prize for emerging from their respective Console Final. European Qualifier winners will be seeded among Week 1 qualifiers from the Online Open Play.
European Qualifier matches for the NHL GWC – Europe will take place online during consecutive weekends: March 19-20 for the regions of Finland, Norway/Denmark and Germany/Austria/Switzerland, and March 26-27 for Czech Republic/Slovakia, Sweden and United Kingdom/Ireland. The European Qualifiers will be played in Versus mode, before the format switches to Hockey Ultimate Team™ (HUT) for Online Open Play and beyond. Beginning in the semifinal round, the Console Final will be double-elimination, giving players a second chance to advance to the European Championship.
NHL GWC Europe Play Phases
- European Qualifiers
- Online Open Play (2 weeks)
- European Console Final
- European Championship
The NHL GWC – North America tournament will feature two weeks of Online Open play qualification, with game play beginning March 16 and March 23. During the registration process, players will be asked to identify their favorite NHL Club in hopes of representing that chosen Club throughout the remainder of the tournament. After the Online Open rounds, the players will be ranked with the top seeded player for each Club automatically representing that Club and the remainder of players randomly assigned to one of the 32 NHL Clubs.
Beginning in the semifinal round, the Console Final will be double-elimination, giving those players a second chance to advance to the Club Championship. Both the Console Final and Club Championship are best-of-three.
NHL GWC North America Play Phases
- Online Open Play (2 weeks)
- North American Console Final
- Club Championship
The Championship
Hosted by NHL GWC production partner DreamHack Sports Games, the European Championship will be contested in-person on Saturday, June 4, at GG22 – Europe’s biggest sports gaming festival at MECC Maastricht, Netherlands. GG22 brings sports and gaming fans together in a dynamic festival environment full of entertainment and sports gaming activities. The program will feature live entertainment as well as a variety of world-class and grassroots (e)sports and gaming activities.
The Club (North American) Championship will take place in-person in Montreal, Que., on Thursday, July 7 – the same week as the 2022 NHL Draft. Montreal’s passionate gaming community will be the perfect backdrop to crown a Champion. While the NHL Draft offers the opportunity for hockey fans to witness the beginning of the careers of the latest NHL® stars, winning the North American NHL GWC title will be a career highlight for one EA SPORTS™ NHL® 22 player.
Content Hub and Tournament Information
- www.nhl.com/gaming
- Full rules, regulations, prize pool details, tournament schedules and results can be found here.
- Fans will be able to follow all stages of the 2022 NHL GWC on the tournament’s website. Weekly winners, bracket play, Club representatives, highlights and HUT teams (once drafted) all will be available for easy viewing in one place.
- Fans can follow the conversation using social hashtag #NHLGWC.
Game Mode
* Versus mode will be used for the European Qualifiers only
Hockey Ultimate Team™:
- Excluding the European Qualifiers, “HUT” mode will once again be the game mode for tournament play, with standard competitive settings for all games. During Rounds 1 and 2, players may participate using an existing or newly-created HUT team until the semifinal round of the Console Finals. The HUT Draft also returns for the final round of each tournament. Beginning with the semifinals of the North American Console Final and European Console Final, participants will draft their unique rosters from a pool of available Hockey Ultimate Team Items featuring NHL players.
- Draft dates and specific details can be found here.
Production/Admin Partners
As part of the multiyear relationship, DreamHack Sports Games (DHSG), will continue producing hockey’s premier esport events with the NHL through production of compelling content, live streams from tournaments, and influencer-driven competitions. The parties will collaboratively approach the sponsor market and lean on DreamHack Sports Games’ strong relationships with leading brands, including those in the endemic categories and across international territories.
For the second consecutive year, Battlefy will serve as the official tournament platform and administrator for the competition, providing seamless registration in multiple languages and a new content hub that will allow fans to follow along with both tournaments in real time. Battlefy’s digital platform is home to more than 250,000 esports tournaments and leagues, created and run by brands, game publishers, sports organizations colleges/high schools, communities, streamers and fans.
Where to Watch
- Twitch: Livestreams and tournament highlights will be available here and on-demand.
- Tournament content will be available on the NHL’s digital platforms and co-streamed on ELEAGUETV.
- The 2022 NHL Gaming World Championship™ will be distributed by NHL global broadcast partners: Turner Sports in the U.S., Sportsnet in Canada, Viaplay and NENT Group in the Nordics as well as NHL rights partners throughout Europe. Tournament content will be available on the digital platforms of these broadcast partners.
2021 NHL Gaming World Champions
Shout out to last year’s winners. Do they have what it takes to repeat as Champions?
- North American Champion: Dallas Stars GWC representative Matthew ‘Gren-35-’ Grenier
- European Champion: Erik ‘ENCEKI’ Tammenpää
2022 NHL Gaming World Championship™ Assets
- Registration promo video (0:30)
- Tournament format explainer video (3:00)
- Registration & Information hub
- 2022 NHL GWC creatives (* available for download in various file formats at the NHL Brand Asset Management Site)
- Social: #NHLGWC
COURTESY NHLmedia.com
