With the latest and greatest in ice hockey games on the way, veterans and newcomers alike are eager to find out whether an NHL 24 Game Pass release is possible. Since 1991, EA Sports has been delivering the best ice hockey games out there, but Game Pass availability would certainly sweeten the deal, especially for those looking to jump in for the first time. But, is NHL 24 coming to Game Pass? Well, we’ve got everything there is to know right now about NHL 24 Game Pass so you know whether you need to buy the game separately or play it through your subscription.
NHL 24 offers some much needed changes and additions over the previous entry in the long-running franchise, such as NHL 24 crossplay, new goalie controls, and more. With all the buzz, we’ve got you covered with the latest news ahead of the NHL 24 release date, including Game Pass availability.
Is NHL 24 on Game Pass?
NHL 24 is not on Game Pass and it would be very surprising if the game did join the service at or around launch on Friday, October 6, 2023. Past games in the NHL series have made it onto Game Pass before, but this is typically in April of the following year, around six months later.
Alongside EA’s other sports titles, NHL is one of its biggest and most consistently performing games each and every year, with dedicated fans awaiting each release and willing to pay full-price. As such, it’s not in EA’s best interest to have a day-one NHL 24 Game Pass release.
Instead, EA has frequently preferred to add the series to Game Pass several months later. NHL 23 was released in October 2022, and was only made available on Game Pass six months later in April 2023. This tactic is used to maintain sales figures at launch and then reignite interest in the game and series half way through the yearly release cycle via Game Pass, when much of the focus has shifted towards the next entry.
This not only helps boost the playerbase of the current game half way through its lifecycle, but can also be a great way to grab the attention of potential new fans to the series. If a Game Pass player enjoys their time, then there’s a high chance they will purchase the next game at release for full-price. It’s worked very well for EA Sports titles in the past, including NHL, and EA is likely to repeat the strategy here.
Therefore, we expect to see an NHL 24 Game Pass release in the future, likely in April 2024 ahead of the reveal of the next game in the series. So, you can either wait and potentially dive in at a later date via Xbox Game Pass, or charge into the arena right away by purchasing the game outright.
Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean Game Pass subscribers don’t get any benefits when it comes to NHL 24. Given EA’s partnership with Xbox providing integration with EA Play, Game Pass Ultimate subscribers are expected to get a 10% discount on pre-orders, as well as a 10-hour free trial. While this is yet to be confirmed, this is how it has worked with EA Sports games in the past.
That’s everything you need to know about an NHL 24 Game Pass release currently, though we’ll update this guide once EA has officially revealed the game. Hopefully we will see some excellent and substantial changes to the series in NHL 24, particularly given the increased demand for innovation from the community over recent years. Nevertheless, if you’re looking to get ahead, check out our NHL 24 early access guide for more.