3 on 3 NHL Arcade, the stylized Xbox 360-era classic, returns in NHL 25

EA Sports is bringing its 3 on 3 NHL Arcade to NHL 25 in a new event series that begins Nov. 15. The NHL 25 version of the 2009 classic is now called NHL Arcade and it can be played in the World of Chel hub. According to EA Sports, it’ll have all the chaos that made 3 on 3 NHL Arcade a social hit, down to the big-headed National Hockey League players and power-ups like supersized goalies — with blockers the size of their heads! — and speedy skates.

It’s played inside a new arena called the NHL Arcade Arena — “a bespoke rink with no glass, rules, or stoppages,” according to a news release. EA Sports expects to add “multiple events” throughout the year. It’s in direct contrast with NHL 25’s other modes, which are heavily influenced by the NHL’s real-life rules and regulations. You can’t trip a player in the NHL, but in NHL Arcade, you can freeze your opponents in place and shrink the opposing goalie. EA Sports said several of many power-ups from the original game, like Supershot, Freeze, Super Speed, and Small and Big Goalies, will appear in NHL Arcade.

“Arcade is going to be a universal experience,” NHL 25 senior design director Mike Inglehart told Polygon. “It doesn’t matter which player type you are, if you’re ultra-competitive, if you’re a casual player, this is something that will probably draw you in.”

Inglehart said NHL Arcade is another way to bring more players into World of Chel, which is NHL 25’s space for both competitive and casual arcade-style play. It’s where you’ll find three-on-three elimination tournaments or throwback events from earlier NHL games, all of which earn points towards the game’s battle pass system.

World of Chel is not unapproachable, but it can be intimidating to new players — there’s a lot going on! The chaotic, arcade-style nature of NHL Arcade is a way to get involved without all the pressure of rankings.

Alongside NHL Arcade, EA Sports has two more updates scheduled for this year: it’ll bring the Professional Women’s Hockey League to NHL 25 on Dec. 5, followed by an event coinciding with the anticipated NHL 4 Nations Face-Off in February.