EA Sports’ NHL 15 is still three months away from its release date, but today EA released a screenshot and some pre-order info about the newest iteration of the annual hockey franchise. The screenshot is incredible. The pre-order info is okay, too.

On the EA Sports NHL Twitter page, a single screenshot, featuring San Jose Sharks Joe Thornton and Scott Hannan, was revealed. It’s unclear whether the image represents gameplay or a cut-scene, but it looks amazing, with some of the most realistic facial modeling we’ve ever seen in a sports game. NHL fans don’t need to see the name on the back of his jersey to know that’s Joe Thornton; they can see his face. The uniforms are just as well-rendered, with tiny details like stitching and fabric textures readily apparent. Even the audience (apparently in Winnipeg) looks diverse, natural, and lifelike.

On EA’s website, retail-specific pre-order info for the game was revealed. Gamers who buy NHL 15 in advance from GameStop will receive $24 worth of Hockey Ultimate Team content. This consists of 24 Ultimate Team Gold packs, delivered one per week for 24 weeks.

If NHL 15 looks as good as the screenshot we’ve seen, we’re in for an amazing hockey experience. The NHL series has been EA’s most consistently excellent sports franchise for years, and we have every reason to believe that NHL 15 will continue that tradition. Hopefully we'll be able to hit the ice next week at E3 to learn more.

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