Konami rebrands PES as eFootball, makes it digital-only free-to-play game

Konami has officially renamed their Pro Evolution Soccer series to eFootball, which will be completely revamped with new modes and cross-platform play, in addition to being digital-only and free to play.

Formerly known as Winning Eleven, Pro Evolution Soccer is a long series of soccer games considered the greatest rival to EA’s FIFA. While it never was as popular and had unlicensed teams, the game managed to achieve commercial success.

eFootball is currently following a roadmap of updates and will be released on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC sometime this Autumn, with iOS and Android to follow.

By the end of the roadmap, every version of the game will feature cross-play, although mobile players will require controllers to play against console and PC players.

Moving on from Konami’s previous FOX Engine, eFootball will also launch with its usual exhibition matches with nine renowned soccer clubs so far and feature optional DLC modes in the future.

While not much information has been officially released regarding these modes, there seems to be the ‘Match Pass System’ that looks similar to the battle pass mechanic.

In an interview with IGN, eFootball’s producer Seitaro Kimura explained that instead of annual paid releases, the game will receive free updates every year.

More information regarding eFootball’s gameplay and modes will be announced in late August, likely around gamescom 2021.

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This article was first published in Geek Culture.