EA is shutting down multiple NHL online servers in June
All good things must come to an end.
Toby Saunders 
Image via EA Sports
EA is shutting down online servers for multiple NHL games on June 6. Players have until this date to play various older NHL games online. After that, you will only be able to play the affected ice hockey titles offline. Time to get some last-minute games in.
Over on its online service updates page, EA has revealed that NHL 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 online servers will be shut down on June 6 across all platforms. The sport-gaming giant announced that this is because “the daily active player base” in these titles “has reached a very low number” and that EA “can no longer ensure a quality online experience.”
With new NHL games releasing every year, it’s understandable that online player numbers in older titles will reduce. Nevertheless, it’s disappointing when online servers for any game are retired. It means a big part of what made a game is no longer available to play.
As you can see in the long list of EA titles with removed online play linked above, the retiring of online servers is a by-product of gaming moving online. It becomes unsustainable for companies to keep costly servers running when the priority must lay with new releases. At least we’ll still be able to head to the rink online in newer NHL games.
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