NHL 16 officially announced for Xbox One and PS4

Following a series of leaks, Electronic Arts has finally announced NHL 16, confirming the latest installment in its annual hockey franchise will only release for Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

"Built with more input from our fans than ever before, NHL 16 steps onto the ice to deliver ways to compete as a team, new features across the most played single-player modes, gameplay innovation at every position on the ice and an unrivaled game day atmosphere," EA said, revealing a whole slew of game details.

While most of the copy on the official NHL 16 website is PR jargon designed to raise hype, a number of features were confirmed. This includes 6 v. 6 Online Team Play, Online Couch Co-op, or the re-imagined EA Sports Hockey League. According to EA, the EASHL has been "reimagined" and now lets you choose specialized player classes "to deliver a balanced competitive experience on the ice. Player skill and your ability to play as a team will now be the determining factor in who wins and loses hockey games."

EA briefly touched upon the different game modes NHL 16 will offer — Be a GM, Be a Pro, and Hockey Ultimate Team — but didn't really get too much into specifics. In Be a GM, you'll have to deal with different personalities, trade demands, and teammate relationships by calling team meetings or adjusting your roster to directly affect your team's on-ice performance. In Be a Pro, there's a new progression system in which your on-ice actions will directly influence the attributes earned.

As far as gameplay, EA teased that you'll have "complete control from every position" with new gameplay innovation on offense and defense. There's a new skating tool that allows for refined movements, seamless puck pickups that result in smoother transitions, distinct team arena atmospheres, story driven commentary featuring Doc Emrick, Eddie Olczyk, and Ray Ferraro, superstar authenticity, and playoff beards. Yes, playoff beards.

"One of the oldest and most iconic traditions in hockey has arrived. With accurate representations of beard patterns, length, thickness, and growth rates for individual players, the road to the Stanley Cup just got hairier."

That's all we have for now. NHL 16 is due out in September 2015.