Tournament Highlights Include 32 NHL Club Events, More Qualifiers for In-Person World Championship, and Condensed Season 

Registration for EA SPORTS™ NHL 24 World Championship Begins in December 

October 2, 2023, Copenhagen/New York – Just ahead of the worldwide release of EA SPORTS™ NHL 24 on October 6, the National Hockey League today announced that its annual esports initiative – the EA SPORTS NHL 24 World Championship – will return to the virtual ice for another unpredictable, fist-pumping, action-packed hockey season. 

The annual tournament showcases the best EA SPORTS™ NHL 24 players in the world and commences in January 2024, with registration opening in December 2023. This season’s #NHL24WC will comprise a number of new features, including six players total (four from North America and two from Europe) advancing to the World Final event to compete in-person for the elusive World Championship title, Championship belt and grand prize.

“Adding the 32 Club Championship events during last season’s competition was a very successful way to increase the opportunity for the NHL gaming community to get involved,” said Chris Golier, NHL Group Vice President of Business Development and Technology Partnerships. “We continue to stress fun and inclusiveness when finalizing our season format and this season’s tournament should provide everyone with memorable experiences.”

Tournament Highlights:

• There will once again be in-person or online esports tournaments for each of the 32 NHL Clubs, with both the Club Champion and – new since this year – Club runner-up automatically qualifying for the EA SPORTS™ NHL 24 North American Championship knockout round, where they will receive a higher seeding than Online Open qualifiers.

• The North American tournament will also feature an in-person NHL 24 WC qualifying event at the 2024 Rogers (Canada) /  Honda (U.S) NHL® All-Star Weekend (February 1-4) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The top four players from this event will win top-seed positions for the NHL 24 North American Console Finals phase.  

• This season’s 2024 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series™ esports event will not be an NHL24WC qualifier. The Club Championship winner from the New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, and New Jersey Devils, will compete in a mini-tournament live during the weekend to determine the Stadium Series Champion, who will not only take home bragging rights, but also a cool outdoor hockey experience and commemorative trophy. 

• In addition to qualifying during the traditional Online Open Play phase, the European side of the tournament will comprise two Open Play events – New Years Tournament and EU Chel Challenge – where both the winner and runner-up for each console (PlayStation®5 / Xbox Series X|S) will automatically advance to Bracket Play with a higher seed standing. 

• All events will be played on New Gen consoles only (PlayStation®5 / Xbox Series X|S) with improved cross-platform capabilities. New this year, EA SPORTS NHL 24 lets you play with and against players across same-generation Sony and Microsoft consoles in HUT and WOC for the most connected Chel experience yet.

• Players will compete in all EA SPORTS™ NHL 24 World Championship™ qualifiers for the North American Console Final and the European Console Final using Hockey Ultimate Team (“HUT”) mode.

• In-person events for the North American Championship, European Championship, and World Final will be played solely on the PlayStation®5 console.

• Player feedback encouraged a more condensed schedule, so the NHL24 World Championship will conclude in April to correspond with the end of the NHL’s regular season.

Additional tournament details, including the registration process, new seeding structure, full event calendar, rules and regulations, and live stream schedule, will be announced in the coming weeks. 

The EA SPORTS NHL 24 World Championship will be produced by NHL24WC partner DreamHack Sports Games (DHSG), a brand of the ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), the leading esports and video game entertainment company. EFG is dedicated to creating worlds beyond gameplay and builds innovative ecosystems that enable global communities of players, fans, and creators around esports and video games.

Players and fans can stay up-to-date and follow all the action on the official tournament website and on social platforms using the #NHL24WC hashtag. Tournament details are subject to change.

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EA SPORTS™ NHL® 24’s all-new gameplay features bring authentic on-ice action to life. Players will experience the rush and fatigue of a high-pressure game with the Exhaust Engine, where sustained pressure in the attack zone leads to new game-changing effects like goalie fatigue that slows the netminder’s reaction time the more they get worn down with offensive action; change the momentum with Physics-Based Contact as you break the glass and send players into the bench with big body checks; and get unparalleled player command with the new Vision Passing System and Total Control Skill Moves.

Chel is more connected than ever with cross-play in all online team play modes, along with HUT Moments, which lets you recreate classic moments in hockey history and today’s biggest plays. Adding an extra layer of authenticity, Flex Moments introduces 75+ new goal celebrations, and a wholly refreshed presentation complements an enriched crowd atmosphere that makes playing the game feel like you’re at the game.

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