Implications of Full Cross-play in NHL 24

A recent video published by EA SPORTS NHL revealed that a full cross-play is coming to NHL 24’s World of Chel. Players on same-generation consoles (Xbox and Playstation) can team up and play together for the first time.

The implications for full cross-play are huge, and in this article, we review several of them. 

Firstly, cross-play enhances the overall NHL gaming experience. This is because there is less restriction on who a user can play with and against. Cross-play provides a refreshing and exciting outlook on cooperative and online gaming for friends who have played on different consoles over the years. After all, chel is a social game, and no better way to experience all that than with friends, regardless of console. 

Secondly, cross-play bridges severe gaps in chel eSports, particularly EASHL tournaments.

Over the years, EASHL tournaments (especially 6v6) primarily ran through the Xbox console. Now, for the first time, players who solely played on PlayStation will have opportunities to showcase their talent in more eSport tournaments. This is terrific for the competitive scene and significantly widens the player pool for these tournaments.

Thirdly, cross-play provides content and entertainment value. Unfortunately, live viewership numbers dropped across the board for almost every content creator over the last few years. However, with cross-play, the trend may reverse in a positive direction. 

A critical factor that can further bolster an upward trend is whether NHL 24 will entail cross-marketplace and a combined leaderboard system in Hockey Ultimate Team. In addition to the existing cross-play matchmaking in HUT, these two aspects would further elevate the overall experience of NHL gaming and content value on various social media platforms, including Twitch. 

The premiere of NHL 24 is this Wednesday, August 16, at 11 am EDT. As a reminder, the NHL 24 Community Playtest registration is open, and chel fans can sign up by visiting the link here.