Will NHL 22 and NHL 23 be completely removed from my console?

No. The games remain installed, only the online features disappear. You can keep playing offline, though EA hasn't specified which modes will survive past August 31, 2026.

Why is EA shutting down services for two NHL games on the same day?

Because NHL 23 is catching up with NHL 22 in the shutdown schedule. Usually, one title loses its servers per year, but this time the pace is accelerating ahead of NHL 27's release.

Is EA legally required to keep online services running?

No. No law requires a publisher to extend a game's live service or release its source code. This is exactly what the European Stop Killing Games campaign is asking to change.

What other EA games are losing their servers in 2026?

Grid Legends goes offline on September 11, 2026, the same day NHL 27 launches. NBA Mobile 26 will follow on October 27.

EA is shutting down NHL 22 and NHL 23 online services on August 31

Electronic Arts has added two lines to its "Online Service Shutdown" page: NHL 22 and NHL 23 lose their connected features on August 31, 2026, on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.

Neither game vanishes from your console. EA notes on that same page that "in some instances, where the online services for a particular game may no longer be available or supported, the game may still be played and enjoyed offline." What the publisher does not do is name a single mode: the notice lists the title, the date and the platforms, nothing more. Back in 2022, for NHL 14 through 18, it at least spelled out that only offline play would remain. Not this time.

Two editions unplugged on the same day

EA's own list sets the tempo: NHL 19 went in November 2023, NHL 20 in September 2024, NHL 21 in October 2025. One a year, just ahead of the next release. August 31 breaks that rhythm, because two editions leave together: NHL 23, the more recent of the pair, gets caught up by its elder.

NHL 27 Deluxe edition key art: Macklin Celebrini, stick in hand, in the teal San Jose Sharks jersey — NHL 27 arrives September 11, the same day Grid Legends loses its servers. Credit: Electronic Arts

EA makes no secret of the accounting behind it. Its explainer page says an older game's population eventually "dwindles to a level – typically fewer than 1% of all peak online players across all EA titles" — a volume that no longer justifies the upkeep. Nothing about it is unlawful: no legislation requires a publisher to keep a live-service game running or to release its code, which is precisely what the European Stop Killing Games campaign wants to change.

The calendar says the rest. Grid Legends goes dark on September 11 across those same four consoles, the day NHL 27 lands on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series. NBA Mobile 26 follows on October 27.