It's still a hockey game, despite the new Exhaust.
Pro hockey player posing for the cover of NHL 24.

EA Sports just announced EA Sports NHL 24 today with its all new "Exhaust Engine" and physics-based contact. NHL 24 will once again be coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. Sadly, there is still no PC version of EA's annual hockey title.

Readying for release on October 6, 2023, NHL 24 will make use of something EA is calling the Exhaust Engine. This "brand-new" engine is still powered by Frostbite, but includes some special NHL-focused changes. Some of these features include Sustained Pressure and Goalie Fatigue systems.

Sustained Pressure will kick in when offensive players keep the pressure on in the attack zone. This increased pressure will result in them getting a Sustained Pressure perk that lowers their opponent's attributes for a short bit of time, leading to more space being opened for movement and plays. The Goalie Fatigue System is a system where the goalie gets fatigued at a faster rate as you put more shots on goal. Goalies impacted by this will start to react a bit slower. EA says that they have implemented "upwards" of 75 new goalie animations to bring this whole system to life.

The other big feature EA is touting for this year's release4 is the new Physics-Based Contact system. EA claims that this system "will revolutionize physical contact and deliver realistic body checks like never before." NHL 24 uses animation-based reactions and opens the door to big checks resulting in turnover opportunities.

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 SPORTSNHL 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.​
NHL 24 features Cale Makar from the Colorado Avalanche as the cover athlete. NHL 24 will be released on October 6, 2023.


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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 24will get a variety of bonus in-game content. The EA SPORTS NHL 24X-Factor Edition includes the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 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 24X-Factor Edition.​