eFootball: Everything you need to know

eFootball is the new name of the PES football series, while also seeing a new engine and new modes. It’s also now free to play.

Konami has officially dropped the Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) name, renaming its flagship series eFootball, along with some other big changes. This might save some confusion, as it’s no longer PES in the West and Winning Eleven in Japan, but just eFootball globally.

Cross-platform play will be ready post-launch, although mobile players will need to use controllers to play against console and PC players. Thankfully, cross-generation play will be ready at launch. It also seems that all versions of the game will be functionally the same.

The approach to updates has also changed, as eFootball will take a platform approach with free, yearly updates to the game for new seasons, with no more annual paid releases of eFootball.

eFootball will launch with some exhibition matches and a selection of nine clubs to play with, including FC Barcelona and Manchester United. Check out the roadmap (below) to see the full list.

The breakdown of football’s modes and monetisation won’t be revealed until a later date, yet it has been promised that the game will be fair and balanced for all players, no matter the platform they play on.

To stay up-to-date with all things eFootball, keep this page bookmarked and make sure to check back for more updates.

Release date

eFootball will be released in Autumn 2021 for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox One and Xbox Series X and Series S, but will only be available as a digital download.

There will also be versions on iOS and Android, though it has no official date. For Nintendo fans out there, Konami refused to comment on any potential Nintendo Switch versions of the game.

Price

To fit with consistent changes made to the staple title, the game will be free-to-play across all platforms, with free yearly updates.

For those looking for more content, however, there will be modes available as paid DLC, though the details have not been confirmed yet. More information will be announced about online modes in late August.

Trailer

Gameplay

With a new custom-built engine created with Unreal 4, the shift away from Konami’s FOX Engine shows the commitment to the new game, as the team didn’t just design a new game, but a brand new in-house football engine to go with it.

One of the biggest reveals of the renamed franchise was what Konami call Motion Matching, which apparently can convert the vast range of movement players make on the pitch into a series of animations, selecting the most accurate one in real-time.

This means there could be four times as many animations in the game when comapared to previous entires, and should make for some very realistic looking gameplay.

The game will launch with a smaller catalogue, with more teams, modes, platforms and cross-play options added for free as the year goes on. And if you’re looking for something familiar in the new game, Peter Drury and Jim Beglin will continue their roles as the English-language commentators.

Option Files, which allows players to customise a fair amount of the game, will also still be available, yet they will be adding support post-launh. It’s not clear how they will be implemented yet.

Konami has claimed it will reveal more gameplay information in late August, so make sure you check back here then to see what more we’ve found out about the new game.