Konami’s ambitious free-to-play football simulation, eFootball 2022, will be released later this month. Here’s everything you need to know.
“It all began with the implacable determination to create a revolutionary football platform.” So says the marketing blurb for eFootball, the new free-to-play football game from PES creators Konami.
Konami says the entire gameplay experience for eFootball has been reworked, from the animation and control mechanics to the stadiums and playing surfaces.
Outlining the future of the game, series producer Seitaro Kimura says:
“With eFootball being the name of our overall platform, eFootball 2022 is the official title for our first season of content. Platform updates bringing new functionality, such as cross-platform matchmaking and mobile controller support, will happen frequently over the coming months and will always be free. Future content updates and game modes will be offered to players as either free or premium options. We look forward to getting players on the pitch and receiving their feedback.”
So what can players look forward to on and off the pitch?
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When the game launches later this month, players can play offline in solo or local multiplayer mode using any of the game’s initial roster of nine clubs and six stadiums. Weekly online events will let players earn rewards using pre-set teams.
eFootball 2022 Clubs
- Arsenal FC
- FC Barcelona
- FC Bayern München
- SC Corinthians Paulista
- CR Flamengo
- Juventus
- Manchester United
- CA River Plate
- São Paulo FC
Stadiums
- Allianz Arena
- Allianz Stadium
- Camp Nou
- eFootball Stadium
- Emirates Stadium
- Old Trafford
Autumn Update
Creative Teams
Later this year, Konami will release eFootball‘s first significant update. The headline feature is called Creative Teams, the game’s spin on FIFA Ultimate Team. Konami says the mode will be balanced to “ensure that all players can reach the same potential, regardless of how they acquire in-game items.”
In Creative Teams, players can sign players and coaches to train and compete with other players in the online Creative League. Players can build a Base Team from more than 600 licensed clubs, each with an authentic crest and kit. More – but not all – official stadiums will also be added to the game over time.
Additional Modes
Other new modes include Tour Events, Challenge Events, and Quick Matches. The game will also support an Online Match Lobby in which players can invite opponents for 1v1 matches.
Player Types
eFootball features four categories of football player. Each type can be signed using eFootball Coins or GP. Here’s how Konami describes them:
- Standard – players based on performance during the current season
- Trending – players based on specific matches or weeks in which they put in an impressive performance
- Featured – hand-picked players
- Legendary – players based on a specific remarkable season
Currencies
What are eFootball Coins, you ask? They are one of the game’s three(!) currencies.
- eFootball Coins – premium currency
- GP – earned through gameplay
- eFootball Points – earned through gameplay
Match Passes
Once a player participates in a specific number of matches, they will earn rewards. One of these is a Nominating Contract, which lets players sign new players and purchase eFootball Coins.
Future Updates
Further down the line, Konami will update the Android and iOS version of eFootball PES 2021 with the new game. This will partly unify the experience across PC, consoles, and mobile devices. Edit Mode – a long time fan favourite from the PES series – will also be added at a later date.
eFootball Release Date
eFootball 2022 will launch worldwide for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC on September 30, 2021.
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