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Two ice hockey players fighting in NHL 24.
Category:
Video Games

Why NHL 24 Isn’t on PC

Image of Chris McMullen
Chris McMullen
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Published: Apr 24, 2024 07:43 am

If you’re a PC-owning ice hockey fan, you might have been hoping against hope that EA’s NHL 24 would get a Windows release. That’s not happening, but if you’re wondering just why NHL 24 isn’t on PC, here’s the answer. 

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Why NHL 24 Isn’t on PC

A Panthers play in NHL 24. This image is part of an article about why NHL 24 isn't on PC.

The answer to why NHL 24 isn’t on the platform is that it wouldn’t be profitable enough for EA. The last NHL game to get a PC release was NHL 09. But it’s not on any digital storefronts, and second-hand copies are selling for at least $30 on eBay.

So what’s going on? EA has released NHL 24 on Xbox and PlayStation, but every year, a new title is announced, and every year, it skips PC. There are some fun conspiracy theories, including one suggesting that EA skips PC because people would put them to shame by modding NHL 24 into a better game.

That seems silly, but there might be a grain of truth there. Microtransactions are a big deal for EA, with its whole Ultimate Team deal, but on PC, hockey fans could potentially mod in their own players and skins. Take Mortal Kombat 1, for example – while console players grind or buy skins, PC owners can install a host of free fan-made skins.

Related: Best Left & Right Wing Build in NHL 24

It’s not only the NHL series that’s skipped PC. Madden NFL 19 was released on Windows, but that was the first game in ten years, so it’s not as if EA has a burning hatred of hockey. The truth can be found in this 2016 Game Informer interview, where Cam Weber, now president of EA Sports, explains the situation:

“PC is literally based on demand. There’s still the high demand for FIFA on the PC globally because of the global appetite for the game. I think that’s less so with Madden, but I think if that changes and an opportunity presents itself, I think we would definitely leverage the opportunity.”

It’s not just a case of dumping the Xbox or PlayStation version to PC, either – there’s much more work involved than that. Dreamloop estimates that it could cost as much as seven figures to port a game. Plus, there are the potential bugs that having multiple hardware configurations could throw up.

Is EA wrong? Could NHL 24 really sell big on PC? It’s possible, but finding out would require a big financial commitment. So, the reason why NHL 24 isn’t on PC is EA thinks there isn’t enough of a market to make it worth developing and releasing it on that platform.

NHL 24 is available now on PlayStation and Xbox.

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Image of Chris McMullen
Chris McMullen
Chris McMullen is a freelance contributor at The Escapist and has been with the site since 2020. He returned to writing about games following several career changes, with his most recent stint lasting five-plus years. He hopes that, through his writing work, he settles the karmic debt he incurred by persuading his parents to buy a Mega CD. Outside of The Escapist, Chris covers news and more for GameSpew. He's also been published at such sites as VG247, Space, and more. His tastes run to horror, the post-apocalyptic, and beyond, though he'll tackle most things that aren't exclusively sports-based. At Escapist, he's covered such games as Infinite Craft, Lies of P, Starfield, and numerous other major titles.
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