Electronic Arts is creating the most intense NHL game yet with EA Sports NHL 24, revealing Colorado Avalanche superstar defenseman Cale Makar, whose world class on-ice skills exemplify the type of hard-checking and game-changing features that will be a part of EA Sports NHL 24, has been named the cover athlete for this year’s game.

NHL 24 feels like hockey and brings the rush and fatigue of high-pressure games to life. The brand-new Exhaust Engine - powered by Frostbite - includes the Sustained Pressure and Goalie Fatigue systems to let players experience concentrated moments of intensity that hockey is known for. Through the Sustained Pressure System, offensive players who keep pressure on in the attack zone are rewarded and will trigger the Sustained Pressure perk, lowering their opponent’s attributes for a limited time and creating more space for movement and setting up plays. With the Goalie Fatigue System, the more pucks you put on net, the more fatigue the opponent’s goalie will experience. This will affect the netminder’s ability to react to shots as they wear down over time and upwards of 75 new goalie animations will help bring this in-game storyline to life.

With overhauled physics and animations, Physics-Based Contact will revolutionize physical contact and deliver realistic body checks like never before. New animation-based reactions create big moments at any point in the game, and allow players to open up more turnover opportunities with bigger checks. For those that like to get physical, players can now break the glass and send their opponent to the bench.

EA SPORTS has unveiled a host of exciting new changes coming to the World of Chel mode with a brand-new deep dive video. 

With more ways to play, connect, and express yourself, this is the most dynamic version of World of Chel yet. The introduction of cross-play to World of Chel means you can now play with, against, and talk smack to your friends across same-generation consoles. This deeper player pool also shortens wait times so you can get in the game even faster against the level of opposition you’re looking for.

An overall upgrade and streamlining of user experience mean lightning-fast response times when switching between the different aspects of Creation Zone to customizing your character.

Casual Mode and matchmaking improvements, more human players, and upgrades that make earning Battle Pass XP more fun are all new in NHL 24. An update to EASHL Playoffs introduces an authentic, streamlined do-or-die 16-game path to the title, which also sees you earn Ranking Points as you make your way through the bracket. A Global Champion will then be crowned post-playoffs, upping the stakes and excitement.

Play, win, flex. World of Chel Storefront updates give you even more items to outfit your character with, as well as access to exclusive new premium bundles of custom characters, player banners, and more. Plus, purchase exclusive items from your favorite teams in the all-new NHL team store.

In addition to high-stakes gameplay, EA Sports NHL is more connected than ever before with enhanced cross-play coming to NHL 24. Within Hockey Ultimate Team and World of Chel, players can now play with and against players across same-generation Sony and Microsoft consoles.

With enhanced gameplay features that allow players to take their skills to an all-new level, there was no better cover star for this year’s game than the multi-talented Cale Makar whose vision, dynamic puck abilities and total control on the ice is represented in the on-ice improvements seen in EA SPORTS NHL 24. Cale Makar is one of the league’s most exciting players and has already racked up numerous accomplishments in his young career, leading the Colorado Avalanche to a Stanley Cup championship in 2022 and taking home the Conn Smythe Trophy, given to the most valuable player of his team at the conclusion of the playoffs.

Key Features:

• All-New Gameplay Features: A suite of new gameplay features brings an unprecedented level of control to NHL 24. With the new Exhaust Engine, players can experience a complete revamp of the EA Sports NHL gameplay experience that rewards extended offensive events and attack zone time, adding a dynamic new layer of authenticity and excitement to the game. Once the in-game Sustained Pressure System is triggered, a visual meter will indicate that Full Pressure is active resulting in the beneficial Adrenaline effect for the offensive team and the challenging Pinned effect for the defending team. The new Goalie Fatigue System affects the netminder’s ability to react to shots as they get worn down over time, which encourages players to constantly keep up the pressure and get more pucks on the net. Total Control Skill Moves completely refresh the control setup and make highlight-reel moves more intuitive and accessible, while the Vision Passing System remaps face buttons to teammates, allowing for more direct passing and the ability to pass anywhere at any time on the ice.
• Updated Human Goalie Controls make playing in goal more accessible and intuitive, with features such as the new Tethered Control System allowing players to slide back and forth to make saves and then auto-returning back to a centered position. Additionally, the new Instinct System gives players the opportunity to guess the location of the shot for a bonus on their save attempt.
• Hockey Ultimate Team: EA Sports NHL 24 has introduced the all-new HUT Moments, which lets players recreate and share classic moments in hockey history and today’s biggest plays. NHL 24 also introduces a new real-time objective-tracking system based on item types, teams, players, and on-ice actions, all while updating player progress in-game. The new system will enable players to keep active track of their tasks and objectives, allowing them to stay focused on the exciting on-ice action.
• World of Chel: This latest iteration of the EA Sports NHL franchise also delivers the most dynamic Word of Chel yet, with enhanced cross-play giving players more ways for players to connect, better matchmaking and improvements to Creation Zone to give players more customization. An update to EASHL Playoffs introduces an authentic, streamlined do-or-die 16-game path to the title, allowing players to earn Ranking Points as they make their way through the bracket. NHL 24 introduces the WOC Battle Pass, which lets players play their way through action-packed seasons at free and premium levels, and WOC Storefront updates give players even more items to outfit their character with as well as access to exclusive new premium bundles of custom characters, player banners and more.
• Modernized Presentation: With all-new presentation updates, players will feel more immersed than ever in the game of hockey. This year’s presentation introduces Flex Moments, a broadcast that feels more alive than ever with over 75 new goal celebration animations, camera angles, lighting effects and the ability for players to map their celebration to their controller so they can flex how they want when they want. New waves of event reactions support significant stoppages, rushes down the ice, Exhaust Engine peaks and dramatic comeback moments, making this by far the most energetic Chel crowd to date. Plus, Dynamic Rink Boards expand the augmented reality broadcast and communicate key on-ice moments, from delayed penalties, goal summaries, stat milestones and vanity backdrops to accentuate those big Flex Moments.

Fans that pre-order NHL 24 will get a variety of bonus in-game content. The EA Sports NHL 24 X-Factor Edition includes the PS4 and PS5 or Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S versions of the game, three days of early access, 4600 NHL Points, exclusive Cale Makar player item, HUT Power-Up Icon of choice and WOC Battle Pass XP Modifier x5. Players can also get a pre-order loyalty offer to receive a 10% off pre-order of the NHL 24 X-Factor Edition. All pre-order editions and information can be found here.

EA Play members can get more out of NHL 24 with three days of early access, and member-only rewards throughout the season.

EA Sports NHL 24 is coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S on October 6, 2023.