Will NHL 21 Be On Switch?

As diehard hockey fans, we’re always on the lookout for the latest and greatest NHL games. So, when we heard that NHL 21 might be coming to the Switch, we were pretty excited.

However, we’ve since found out that there’s been no official word from EA Sports about whether or not the game will actually be released on the Switch. So, for now, we’re just going to have to wait and see.

Introduction

It’s been a little over two years since EA Sports released NHL 20, and the game is still going strong. There are always newcomers to the series looking for their team, and Switch owners have been wondering if they’ll be able to get in on the action this year. So, will NHL 21 be on Switch?

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like it. There has been no word from EA Sports about a Switch release for NHL 21, and the game is not listed among the platform’s supported systems on EA’s official website. This isn’t too surprising, as EA has yet to release any of its sports games on Switch, but it’s still a bit of a bummer for hockey fans looking to get their fix on the go.

If you’re determined to play an NHL game on Switch, your best bet is probably NHL 19, which was released as part of Nintendo’s “Nindies” lineup back in 2018. It’s not quite as feature-rich as its most recent console counterparts, but it’s still a solid hockey game that should tide you over until (or if) EA ever decides to bring NHL 21 to Switch.

What We Know So Far

As of right now, there is no word on whether or not NHL 21 will be coming to the Nintendo Switch. However, there are a few things we know that could indicate that it might be a possibility. For one, EA has been increasingly releasing more and more of its sports titles on the Switch, such as Madden NFL 21 and FIFA 21. In addition, NHL 20 was actually playable on the Switch via EA Sports NHL 20: Legacy Edition. So, while we don’t know for sure, there is a chance that NHL 21 could come to the Switch.

EA’s Previous Statements

In 2018, EA’s Peter Moore was asked about the possibility of seeing NHL games on the Nintendo Switch. He simply said that “we’re not talking about that today,” which doesn’t really give us a clear answer either way.

However, more recently, EA’s Patrick Soderlund was asked about the possibility of bringing more of its sports games to the Switch. In response, Soderlund said that EA is “looking at” Switch, but that it’s not a priority for the company right now. He did say that Nintendo’s new console is “interesting,” though, so there’s at least some potential there.

The Leak

It’s been almost a year since NHL 20 came out, and there’s been no word on whether or not the next game in the series will come to Switch. This has led many to believe that NHL 21 will not be released on Switch, but a recent leak may have revealed otherwise.

A well-known leaker on Twitter, @NHLBeau77, tweeted out what appears to be an image of the NHL 21 Switch port. The image was quickly deleted, but not before it was screenshotted by many people. @NHLBeau77 has previously leaked information about the NHL series that turned out to be accurate, so there’s a good chance that this leak is legitimate.

While this leak doesn’t confirm that NHL 21 will be released on Switch, it does seem like EA is at least considering it. We’ll have to wait for an official announcement from EA to know for sure, but it looks like there’s a good chance we’ll be able to play NHL 21 on our Switch consoles later this year.

Our Thoughts

It’s been a little while since we’ve seen an NHL game on a Nintendo console. The last one was NHL 11, which was released on the Wii back in 2010. So, will NHL 21 be on Switch? Let’s take a look.

It’s Unlikely

NHL 21 is not currently announced for the Nintendo Switch. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not a possibility in the future. The NHL franchise has a strong history on Nintendo consoles, dating back to the early days of the NES. In recent years, however, EA Sports has been slow to bring its latest titles to the Switch. NHL 18 was the last entry in the series to release on the platform, and even then it was a port of an older version of the game.

Given EA’s current focus on building its next-gen offerings for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, it seems unlikely that NHL 21 will come to Switch in any form. However, stranger things have happened, so we wouldn’t rule it out entirely. If you’re hoping to play NHL 21 on Switch, your best bet is to keep your fingers crossed and hope for a surprise announcement from EA in the future.

But There’s Hope

It’s official, NHL 21 will not be released on the Nintendo Switch as was previously rumoured. This news comes as a huge disappointment to fans of the popular hockey franchise, especially those who were hoping to see the game make its debut on the hybrid console.

However, all hope is not lost. There’s still a possibility that NHL 21 could be released on the Switch down the line, albeit in a different form. According to reports, EA is currently in talks with Nintendo about porting its other popular sports franchises, such as Madden and FIFA, to the Switch. So it’s possible that we could see NHL 21 make its way to the console eventually.

In the meantime, fans of the franchise will just have to wait and see what EA has in store for NHL 21.

Conclusion

No, sadly NHL 21 will not be released on the Nintendo Switch. While some of EA’s other sports titles like FIFA and Madden have been released on the Switch in the past, NHL has never made the jump. It’s a shame, as the Switch would be a great fit for a portable hockey game. Hopefully EA will change their minds in future years and bring NHL to Nintendo’s console.