We knew some changes were coming to NHL 24, and now we have some more details on a lot of the online adjustments the team at EA Vancouver are making.
Earlier this month we were lucky enough to join the developers at the studio, as they told us what was in store ahead of this year’s launch. You can hear all the details on our latest Console Creatures episode!
Until now, details about online features and play were limited. But the latest NHL 24 gives us a much better sense of what we can expect this fall, and how you can unlock more sweet gear for your skater. For those that don’t know, World of CHEL has been around for some time now and it allows you to bring your own, custom skater into online competition. Here you’ll control you, and only you, and compete with friends or other people online to win one of many seasonal championships.
A Battle Pass Has Arrived
For the first time, a NHL Battle Pass will be introduced for online play. Creative Director Mike Inglehart shows off a few items you can unlock and how it will work.
First off for the good news, the Premium Battle Pass will be available for all NHL 24 players on launch. So there’s no buy in and no worry that the first go around might not what you were hoping for. This is a somewhat common occurrence and it looks like the team is trying to ease players into this new way of playing online. Going forward there will be a free model as well, with more rewards available to those who buy in. A familiar structure at this point.
The team also touched on some of the unlockables that range from player gear, title cards, celebrations, and in-game currency
That currency isn’t anything new, but now instead of the hockey bags (essentially loot boxes), a store will be available instead. So now there’s less likelihood of new items being a let down and everything you can either unlock or purchase is right there in front of you. A welcome change for many players.
Creation Zone Changes
Customizing your own player has always been a part of the NHL series’ CHEL. But now, the team at EA say they’ve taken note and have revamped how the UI works. It’ll now be a bit easier and quicker to switch between items in the customization menus. There will be far less click-in-click out actions and menus you’ll have to navigate. While the choices and options have always been pretty detailed in NHL games, the menus definitely felt cumbersome after a while. For me, this is a nice adjustment.
Also for the first time, NHL 24 will allow you to save multiple player presets. This will make it much easier to change things up on the fly and experiment.
EASHL Adjustments
A non-competitive 3-on-3 option will be available from the get-go. Here the ice will open up and give you a good opportunity to play games that may be a little less intense or competitive.
The playoff structure is also changing for online play. In years past, you would need to complete dozens of matches online to hopefully rank up and earn your spot into playoff matchups. NHL 24 is changing that based on player feedback. Now, a set of four best of 7 series will lead you to your trophy goal, mirroring the pro-level hockey structure.
NHL 24 launches on October 6th on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Pre-orders are available now for the game.
