How to Play NHL 27 Online with Friends on PS5

How to play NHL 27 online with friends: step by step

This is where most questions come up, so let's go through it in order.

Step 1. PlayStation Plus and PSN friends

Online play in paid games on PS5 requires a PlayStation Plus subscription, on both accounts. Without it the invite simply will not work. Then add each other as friends on PlayStation Network, either through Game Base on the home screen or in the PlayStation App on your phone. The request has to be accepted; a one-sided request is not enough.

Step 2. The online versus lobby

The host opens the online section of the game and starts an online versus lobby. In the lobby the host moves their controller to their team's side, opens the invite menu and picks the friend from the PSN friends list. That is how the flow worked in NHL 25, and the logic is the same in NHL 27; menu names can shift slightly after patches, so look for "Invite" and "Friends".

Step 3. Accept the invite

Your friend gets a notification on their PS5. If they miss it, the invite waits in the notification center under the PS button. They accept, join the lobby and move their controller to the opposite side.

Step 4. Pick teams and settings

Each player chooses a club and jerseys, the host confirms the match settings and starts the game. Our recommended settings are below.

If the connection struggles, with stuttering or a puck that seems to teleport, check your cable, NAT type and the game mode on your TV. Our guide on how to find opponents in NHL 27 covers connection basics too.

Can you play NHL 27 with a friend on Xbox?

A common situation: you are on PS5, your friend has an Xbox Series X|S. NHL 27 has crossplay, but not in every mode. According to EA's help pages, players on different consoles can play together in World of Chel, private Hockey Ultimate Team matches and Connected Franchise. Online versus is not on that list, so a classic one-on-one versus game against a friend on Xbox most likely will not work.

To add a friend from the other console, open EA Connect in the main menu, search for them by EA ID, PSN ID or Xbox gamertag and send a friend request. Once they accept, you can play together in the modes that support crossplay. Crossplay is on by default the first time you launch the game; you can switch it off in the World of Chel hub or the Connected Franchise settings.

Best settings for a game with friends

You can play friendlies on any settings, but if you want your results to mean something, use a standard that online leagues use. In ICERANK every match is played like this:

• online versus;
• 4-minute periods;
• Superstar difficulty;
• 3-on-3 overtime, then a shootout, no ties.

Four-minute periods are a good compromise: a game takes about half an hour with breaks, and there are enough goals that luck does not decide everything. Overtime 3-on-3 is a skill of its own and worth practicing with a friend; see our NHL 27 overtime and shootout tips.

Agree on teams

The classic argument between friends is "you picked the strongest team again". Some fixes:

• play clubs of similar strength: check the NHL 27 team ratings and pick from the same tier;
• play a best-of-three where the loser picks first in the next game;
• give each player one club for a month and run your own mini season.

To compare players position by position, use the NHL 27 player ratings, with forwards, defensemen and goalies.

Other modes to play together

NHL 27 is more than one-on-one games. If you and your friends want to be on the same team rather than against each other:

• World of Chel. You create your own skaters and hit the ice together on one team. It is the best mode for friends on different consoles, because crossplay works here.
• HUT private matches. Each of you builds a card-based team and you face each other.
• Connected Franchise. You and your friends run clubs in one league over several seasons. If your group does not have time for a full franchise, a lighter option is a season with fixed clubs in an online league, where nobody has to wait for everyone to advance; read Connected Franchise vs an online league for the comparison.

How to keep games with friends interesting

After a couple of weeks against the same friend, games start to repeat. You know each other's dekes, the score stops mattering and the fun fades. Here is what keeps it fresh.

Report your games to a league

If you are both registered on ICERANK, any game you play can go into the 1v1 ladder. You do not need to send a challenge through the site first: play, then the winner reports the score with a screenshot of the final screen and picks your friend's nickname, and your friend confirms with one tap. The game earns Elo rating points and goes into your head-to-head history.

One detail matters: against the same opponent, only 2 games a day and 6 a month count. That is deliberate, so two friends cannot farm rating off each other. Play as much as you like, report the important games, and use the opponent finder to meet new players the rest of the time. That is how you improve faster.

Be aware of who the league is for: ICERANK is a free league for players 18 and over on PS5, and most of the community comes from Russia and neighbouring countries. Cash prizes are paid in rubles only, so check the prizes guide before you plan around them.

Play one season together

In the Season every player gets their own NHL club for the whole season: 84 regular season games, then playoffs with 16 clubs and best-of-seven series. Grab a club each and your head-to-head games become real derbies with a table behind them.

Meet in the cups

Knockout cups run on weekends with brackets of up to 32 players. Sign up together and see who goes further. A semifinal against your friend will be remembered longer than a dozen friendlies.

Invite not working? What to check

If the invite does not arrive or your friend is not in the list, go through this list. Most problems are solved here:

1. You are actually friends: the PSN request (or EA Connect request for crossplay) is accepted on both sides.
2. Both of you have an active PlayStation Plus subscription.
3. Both of you have the latest game update installed. Different versions cannot join one lobby.
4. Privacy and parental control settings on the PS5 do not block online play and invites.
5. Nobody has blocked anybody.
6. If your friend is on another console, the mode you are inviting them to supports crossplay.

If everything checks out and the invite still does not show up, have your friend restart the game and recreate the lobby. That is often enough.

FAQ

Can two people play NHL 27 on one PS5?

Yes. Connect a second controller, start a quick game and move the controllers to opposite teams. You do not need internet or PlayStation Plus for that. You can also play together on the same team against the CPU.

Do you need PlayStation Plus to play NHL 27 online with a friend?

Yes. Online play in NHL 27 on PS5 requires PlayStation Plus on both accounts. Without it, couch play on one console is your only option.

How do I invite a friend in NHL 27 on PS5?

Add your friend on PSN, open an online versus lobby, open the invite menu and pick them from your friends list. They accept from their PS5 notifications and join your lobby.

Can I play NHL 27 with a friend on Xbox?

Partly. According to EA, crossplay between PS5 and Xbox Series X|S works in World of Chel, private HUT matches and Connected Franchise. Online versus is not on that list. You can add an Xbox friend through EA Connect in the main menu.

Do games against friends count in the ICERANK league?

Yes, if you are both registered. The winner reports the score with a screenshot and picks the friend's nickname, and the friend confirms. Against one opponent, up to 2 games a day and 6 a month count.

Your friends already know all your moves? Time to test yourself against new opponents. Sign up for ICERANK for free and hit Find an opponent: the site matches you with a player at your level, and games with friends can go into the ladder too.