EA revealed the cover athlete for the upcoming NHL 24.
Cale Makar from the Colorado Avalanche is the cover athlete for EA’s NHL 24. He was drafted 4th overall by Colorado in 2017, and within that short period of time he has accomplished a ton in the NHL. Some of the achievements include:
- Stanly Cup Champion
- Conn Smyth winner
- Norris Trophy winner
- Record for points by defenseman in the post season
- Fastest NHL defenseman to reach 200 points
Cale Makar also won the World Junior Championship as part of Team Canada in 2018.
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.
“This is a game made by hockey fans, for hockey fans, and bringing the full intensity of hockey to our gameplay was a major focus for us this year in NHL 24,” said Mike Inglehart, Creative Director at EA Vancouver. “With the new Exhaust Engine system and gameplay features that really capture the physical nature of hockey, NHL 24 delivers realistic body checks and a deeper defensive toolbox full of more choice and tactics that bring a whole new level of immersion to the franchise.”
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.
“I am honored to be on the cover of EA SPORTS NHL,” said Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche. “NHL 24 represents everything I love about hockey – it is fast-paced, physical and a lot of fun. I can’t wait for fans to get their hands on the game to feel the intensity of NHL 24 for themselves.”
NHL 24 is expected to release on October 6, 2023 with an early access period shortly before for EA subscribers.
