EA Sports dropped a new NHL 24 gameplay video today, showing off the new Exhaust Engine as well as other new features. The 15-minute gameplay video breakdown from Nasher shows off everything you need to know about the upcoming game. As we approach NHL 24's release date, EA keeps releasing more info.

Without further ado, let's dive right in and discuss everything new in NHL 24.

NHL 24's Exhaust Engine Is The Biggest Game Changer

Before NHL 24's release date, you may need to start learning all of the new gameplay changes. NHL's gameplay will never be the same.

The Exhaust Engine in NHL 24 is a new system that rewards offenses for putting constant pressure on defense. When you're on the opponent's territory trying to score, the longer you stay there, make shots, pass, and keep possession, a pressure meter (seen on the ice) gradually increases. When the meter fills up, offensive players receive temporary boosts, while defensive players receive negative affects to their skating and stamina.

Mike Inglehart, Lead Creative Director of NHL 24 at EA Sports, spoke more about the Exhaust Engine:

“Defensively you're gonna be hit with a pinned effect. You're stamina is ‘gonna burn off a bit quicker, and you (offense) got 30 seconds to make the most of it. But the defensive team can diffuse it with getting the puck out of the blue line for 5 seconds continously.”

Icing the puck does not reset the meter. When you go to the face-off, the meter remains paused until play resumes.

Now, players can use the pressure gauge their advantage, but still need to be quick with their movements and play styles. The new exhaust engine should also make it easier for new players to score goals by utilizing the new feature. This affects all players, including goalies.

The Latest NHL Game Emphasizes Goalie Play and Predictability

“Goalies now have visible energy levels in the game.” Inglehard said,  “Shots on net, moving left and right will start to peter out their stamina. This will affect their precision, so their ability to make saves accurately. You're going to see more rebounds. You're also going to see the goalie start to change their stance, the type of save that they throw. At the end of the day, we should see more goals scored from more dangerous places on the ice.”

This should take away some of the predictability in shots and knowing when they'll go past the goalie. Now, goalies make more desperate saves and more sluggishly when pressure is activated.

“As you see the goalies start to become more active and leave the net wide open, you should be incentivized  to put the puck towards the net. You don't always have to work the puck in tight. You can take shots from a point, you can work it high in the slot, and we're seeing a more balanced range of goal scoring variety.

So shooting from unique angles and shooting often should tire the Goalie out giving you a better chance of scoring. And this affects players throughout the whole game. However, goalie energy does replenish when the puck is out of the zone. So don't worry about your goalie getting fatigued, as they can replenish their energy with good offensive play. Other factors like whistles, timeouts, and period changes also help replenish goalie energy.

NHL 24 Gameplay Introduces Physics Based Contact

NHL 24 improves the controls to give you more options on how you play the body. In previous NHL titles, it was difficult to tell if your hit was going to be a slight bump, or a heavy hit. NHL 24 fixes this with advanced controls:

  • For a light bump, just flick up on the analog stick
  • For heavy hits, hold back on the analog stick before pushing it up when making contact with the other player

“I think the biggest change that's gonna make a difference is the utility of hitting,” said Inglehart. “Hitting in the past never really had a big impact on player stamina. Players recover really quickly, so people usually go to the coat checking because it seems to be the best way to hit. This year when you land a hit, it's going to have substantial impact on stamina.”

So not only are the controls improved, but players will no longer be able to take advantage of specific body plays without draining their stamina. Players in NHL 24 now also take longer to get up depending on how much stamina they have left. However, timing your hits requires more skill than ever before. Your opponent is also going to know if you're charging up a hit, giving them the chance to counter it with a dodge.

Additionally, a dedicated hip check button prevents you from making a bad hit at the wrong time. NHL fans will be excited to know you can now body players over the bench and even break the glass too.

Lastly, the devs added a reverse hit button.

The New Vision Passing System In the Latest NHL Game Changes The Way You Move The Puck Around

Vision passing is a new passing modifier that allows you to hold the pass button, and icons appear over all players on the ice. Now you have less limitation on who you pass to, giving you more freedom to move the ball around. This feature may be helpful in areas like breakouts or stretch passes, or if you just want to do something wild for a highlight reel.

Do remember, though, that you're passing attributes still matter. So keep in mind that you should still aim for open players to ensure an accurate pass.

Mike Inglehart really loves the new passing system. “Vision Passing is the thing that I lean on. And the nice thing is without making any substantial changes to our AI, we're creating more hockey plays because the ice is more open. Those moments just haven't happened before.”

One touch passing also allows for more quicker passes by letting you choose who to pass to before you even receive the puck. This creates a much more fluid passing experience that should really benefit both casuals and experienced players.

Player Controls

Total Control Controller Mapping helps casual players and those new to NHL by making those “spectacular moves” much easier to perform. For example, the michigan (lacrosse) shot is now performed by pressing and holding Y (or triangle). When behind the net, you can use this move to potentially score.

These shortcuts don't make it easier to score, but makes the controls better and more comfortable for new players.

According to Inglehard, the new control style is “Tuned in a way where you ‘gotta find the right location and frame to activate it on. So it's not a ‘gimme goal, but we know players will figure things out.”

He also mentioned that the team is going to monitor the feature and determine whether or not it's too easy once the game launches. However, you can still play with the old setup if that's what you prefer.

Lastly, back skating has been heavily nerfed. Mike Inglehart explains why.

“One thing about skating backwards was that it was really almost invincible to body check. We're responsible for making a game that's fun but also authentic of the real game. I don't see many people on the ice skating coast to coast backwards. So we've changed it in a way to allow you to create open space by pivoting at the right side depending on what your shot is.”

Goalie Controls

Goalies now become tethered to the net, meaning you won't have to worry about slipping away from the net.

The new instinct system allows goalies to try to predict where they think the shot is going. Predicting the shot correctly earns you a temporary boost, increasing your chances of making a save.

NHL 24 Is On The Way With Brand New Gameplay

And that's everything new with NHL 24's gameplay. Feel free to check out the video to learn more details from Mike Inglehart.

NHL 24's release date comes this October for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One. Cale Makar was recently announced the game's cover athlete, and a closed beta just took place this past week. Additionally, the developers released a new deep dive last week for World of Chel. We're getting closer to NHL 24's release  date with each new reveal.

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