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NHL 24 receives its first announcement next week, with a playtest soon on the way. NHL 24 likely won't release until October, and at this point the game's development is nearing completion. That being said, we can't help but mention a few features and changes we'd like to see in the upcoming game. This includes things like NHL 24's Gameplay, Cross-Play, and overall Presentation.
5. NHL 24 On PC, & Possibly Switch
NHL 23 released solely for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and the Xbox Series X.
An NHL game hasn't come out for PC since NHL 09 in 2008. The gaming market has grown considerably since then, with more PC players than over a decade ago. Perhaps EA believes there just isn't enough money to be gained from a PC port, but we believe otherwise.
Now this may be more difficult, considering the hardware is weaker. But, could an NHL game therefore come out for Switch. If EA Sports FC 24's Switch version can run on frostbite 3, then shouldn't NHL as well? We won't claim to know all the work needed to make versions for these platforms. However, it just seems EA Sports could make more money while more players can enjoy their game.
Of course, the question then would be if these versions would get Cross-Play or not. While feasible for the PC version, the Switch port would likely not have it due to the system's limitations.
4. Do Not Forsake Other Modes For HUT
It comes as no surprise that Ultimate Team is EA Sports' favorite mode across all their major sports games. It essentially acts as a sort of trading card simulator where you earn player via packs or challenges, allowing you to use them in-game.
The problem with HUT is that it is extremely pay-to-win, and because of its popularity, other modes suffer. We don't want to see HUT become a priority over other game modes. While many features get removed over time, HUT remains a constant powerhouse in the series.
We understand there's no getting rid of HUT, but hopefully the developers recognize there is more than just HUT fans in their playerbase. It inevitably is going to be among the more popular modes in the game, so hopefully EA also addressed any problems in the mode and listens to community feedback.
3. Improved Cross-Play
NHL 23 added Cross-Platform online play, which is a good thing. However, the implementation of the feature was a mess, making it difficult to actually play with your friends on other systems.
NHL 24 hopefully should have a solution for this, allowing you to easily connect with friends on other systems. Cross-play did make it easier to find opponents without wasting your time, but that's not the main reason why fans want it.
Knowing EA Sports, they'll either implement this change right away, or wait a few installments until they either. Hopefully it is the former, and people can start playing with their friends the way it should have been done the first time around.
2. Upgraded Presentation
From animations, player models, referees, to commentators, every aspect of NHL's presentation needs an update. Perhaps with the new SAPIEN technology, EA Sports may be able to create more accurate player models while improving the game's graphical fidelity.
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![[Imagn Images direct customers only] Team USA forward Brady Tkachuk (7) celebrates scoring against Team Canada during the first period during the 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey championship game at TD Garden. Olympic](https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/USATSI_25467640.jpg)
![[Imagn Images direct customers only] United States forward Jake Guentzel (59) during the 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey championship game against Canada at TD Garden](https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Team-USA-and-Team-Canada-Hockey.jpg)
If we've seen anything from Madden 24′ Superstar mode and EA Sport FC 24's Match Day Experience, it's that presentation is getting an upgrade. The hope is that NHL 24 follows in the footsteps of other EA Sports titles in that regard.
One major note: We appreciate being able to create your own team with a custom logo and uniform, and wish for that to remain. We can't stress how awesome it is to create your own team, expand leagues, and really control your experience.
The Be A Pro Mode could also use a lot more soul.
In fact, everything outside of the rink and team editor could use a bit more flare. Take a note from NBA 2K's career mode, which has users go through every major phase of their career. This includes pre-draft moments, pre and post-game interviews, in-depth meetings with an agent or manager, etc. The point is, in a day and age of advanced video game systems, it only makes sense that the devs test out what they can really do with this hardware.
1. NHL 24 Gameplay & Game Modes
And of course, NHL 24's gameplay needs adjusting. From the AI, to the bugs, to everything else, improvement is required across the board.
For one, if you're a casual gamer or non-NHL fan, getting into the games is rather difficult. Some people start the game with the easiest difficulty setting and still can't score because of how absurd the AI Goalkeeper is.
But that's not all. Many aspects of the game, like shooting, passing, or getting the puck after a turnover feels sluggish at times. The Frostbite Engine 3 seemed to have this effect on many EA Sports titles, and NHL is no exception. We hope for one day to have a completely different engine making these games. In the meantime, we're hoping EA Sports finds a temporary solution to increase game speed without costing the game's realism.
One thing that plagues many EA Sports titles is a lack of fresh ideas while old ones are removed. While Madden 24 brings back Mini-Games and FC 24 splits up Manager and Player Career, NHL 24 must find a mode or two where they can implement something big.
And those are 5 features we'd like to see changed and/or improved in NHL 24. We'll get more information during the reveal next week, so stay tuned.
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