Konami have announced their upcoming football title and there’s a lot of change coming to the series. Unveiled as eFootball – which represents a fresh approach for the long-running franchise previously known as PES and Winning Eleven – this new direction will be the next generation football series from Konami.
A rebrand, a Free-to-play model, a new direction & a completely new name.
PES is no more as the series evolves into eFootball which has been built from the ground up using the Unreal Engine. In what Konami are calling ‘a new brand identity for a new generation of consoles and players’ eFootball will be a Free-to-play title which will be regularly updated and expanded with new game modes, features and content over the year.
Introducing #eFootball™, an all-new football simulation platform from the makers of PES.
Overhauled graphics, animations and gameplay signal a new era of virtual football. Free-to-play this Autumn.
▼Reveal Trailerhttps://t.co/hOTjXlfrcO
▼Detailshttps://t.co/HHSkl2gjGz
— eFootball (@play_eFootball) July 21, 2021
eFootball will be released this Autumn (we’re guessing September) with local and online matches featuring Manchester United, Barcelona, Juventus, Bayern Munich and others available, for free, at launch and will include cross-generation matchmaking (i.e. PS5 vs. PS4, Xbox Series X|S vs. Xbox One).
Later that month, eFootball will receive a huge update with the games new Team Building mode (myClub might be a name change) being added alongside Online Leagues (Name TBC).
Konami will also expand cross-generation matchmaking into cross-platform matchmaking between consoles and PC (i.e. PS5 vs. Xbox Series X|S, PS5 vs. PC Steam, etc.)
Intriguingly, there is also mention of a new Match Pass System. Could this be eFootball’s take on a season pass similar to the battle pass model in Fortnite or Warzone? This could be a gamechanger for in game content with daily challenges and weekly objectives.
A few weeks after launch (Winter season) eFootball will receive yet another major update which will see full cross-platform matchmaking across all available platforms become available. This will include PS5 vs Mobile or PC vs Xbox etc.
Professional and amateur esports tournaments will kick-off during this time also. What’s more, Konami have detailed how the addition of future modes will be incorporated into your game: “In the future, certain game modes will be sold as optional DLC, giving players the freedom to build an experience that follows their interests.” – Konami @ign.com
It seems eFootball will be customizable to your own preferences with users able to pick and choose what modes they want to add to the core version of their game. Our understanding of this is similar to Call of Duty’s Warzone which is split between a F2P online mode (Warzone) and optional campaign and zombie mode upgrades. Could we see the same with Master League? eFootball will launch worldwide first on PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows® 10 and PC Steam® this Autumn, with iOS and Android to follow soon after.
Lastly, Lionel Messi & Neymar will become the first global ambassadors for eFootball. Andres Iniesta and Gerard Pique have been official advisors for offensive and defensive gameplay. So some huge announcements and a massive change in direction for Konami with eFootball shepherding in a new age for PES fans. More details are due to drop in the coming weeks and at Gamescom but there is so much to get through here so make sure and read our thoughts on the changes here.
Also, we have put together a simple & concise Q&A breakdown of the details and announcements which you can read here.
And don’t forget to check out our upcoming podcast, it’s going to be a big one as we deep dive into everything.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pesuniverse-podcast/id1458620953
https://www.youtube.com/c/PESUniverse
