A new brand identity for a new generation of consoles and players, eFootball represents a fresh approach for the long-running franchise, previously known as Pro Evolution Soccer and Winning Eleven.

Thanks to the greatly evolved football game engine, the animation system has also been overhauled. New technology called "Motion Matching" converts the vast range of movements that players make on the pitch into a series of animations, selecting the most accurate one in real-time. The system provides more than four times as many animations as before, achieving highly realistic movement. “Motion Matching” will be utilised across all eFootball platforms, including last-gen consoles, PCs and mobile.

Ensuring that eFootball is an experience that everyone can enjoy, Konami’s new football game is free-to-play across console, PC and mobile. Importantly, eFootball will also present a fair and balanced experience for all players. More details about gameplay and online modes will be revealed in late August.

As a digital-only title, Konami will regularly add new content and game modes after launch this Autumn. Local matches featuring FC Barcelona, Juventus, FC Bayern, Manchester United and others will be available, for free, at launch. In the future, certain game modes will be sold as optional DLC, giving players the freedom to build an experience that follows their interests.

Uniting football’s global gaming community for the first time, eFootball will offer the same highly realistic esports experience across console, PC and mobile, including full cross-play support post-launch. eFootball on mobile will be detailed at a later date.

Seitaro Kimura, eFootball series Producer at Konami Digital Entertainment commented: “With so much change this year, we believe it is important that people first understand the feel of our football game on the pitch – highly realistic and grounded in a clear passion for real-world football. Decades of experience developing PES and Winning Eleven titles have been poured into eFootball with the aim of reaching a massive audience of football fans around the world. This is the start of a unique journey and we have big plans for the future.”

Controlling the ball touch

Players will be able to control the strength of kicking the ball as well as determining dribbling speed; from a knock-on all the way to a full dash, just as in real football. In addition, on PS5, eFootball will make use of the controller’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers to feel the difference of player movements (this feature will be added in an update after launch).

Tricking the defender

With greater freedom to control how the player will trap the ball, each play becomes a mind game (this feature will be added in an update after launch). A wide array of dribbles and body feints are also available with intuitive commands. In combination, these ensure that every single duel offers an exciting moment for both attacker and defender.

Steal the ball and create chances

Players can block their opponent's shot by throwing their body or by reading the kick and cutting the pass. Naturally, stealing the ball close to the opponent’s goal creates an excellent scoring opportunity.

Physical battles

eFootball recreates the "physical defense", which is so important in real-life football, with a charging command when defending. In addition, the offensive team can also use their bodies to keep the ball in play, making both offensive and defensive play more dynamic.

Perform a Sharp Kick (this feature will be added in an update after launch)

An option to charge a “sharp kick”, complete with new animations, will make the game even more technical and exciting. Players will be able to perform special kicks, such as sharp crosses, fast lofted passes and rising shots. These new actions take more time to execute, so players will need to choose the right opportunities during a match.

Focus on 1vs1 duels

The eFootball development team has analyzed real-life football tactics to create a new set of "1vs1" win/lose rules. With Motion Matching technology, the game evaluates the ball, movement speed, body direction, physical ability and more in real-time to affect the movement of every player. These win/lose rules work in tandem with player movement to make the game more convincing, including foul decisions, which have been reworked.

Enhanced team playstyles and new controls

Team playstyles are a vital part of football, so the AI controlling the off-the-ball players has been revamped. Combining this with the new attacking and defending controls, players will have much greater freedom to play the way they want.

A new camera: Duel

The new “Duel” camera zooms in when the player is in a 1vs1 situation, allowing the player to enjoy the 1vs1 scene from a closer distance. When the player is in a free situation, the field of view expands, allowing the player to send a long pass at the right moment.

General improvements

The new Motion Matching animation system creates much more natural and fluid player movements. In addition, ball movement has seen further enhancements due to a partnership with a research institute. Finally, the action never stops during a match, due to the Seamless Restart system.

Further information about game modes, licenses, mobile, release date and more will be announced during September, so please stay tuned.

To ensure open and transparent communication, Konami has published the first roadmap for eFootball, presenting initial details about launch contents and what will be added in the months following.

Early Autumn:

• All-new gameplay experience, powered by Unreal Engine
• Cross-generation matchmaking (i.e. PS5 vs. PS4, Xbox Series X|S vs. Xbox One)
• Local Matches featuring FC Barcelona, Juventus, FC Bayern, Manchester United and more

Autumn:

• Cross-platform matchmaking between consoles and PC (i.e. PS5 vs. Xbox Series X|S, PS5 vs. PC Steam, etc.)
• Team Building Mode (Name TBC) opened – build your own team by acquiring players
• Online Leagues (Name TBC) opened – take your original team and compete in a global, competitive league
• Match Pass system – earn items and players by playing eFootball

Winter:

• Mobile controller support added
• Full cross-platform matchmaking across all available platforms including mobile when using a compatible controller
• Professional and amateur esports tournaments kick-off

Konami is honored that Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr., two of the greatest footballers of all time, will become global ambassadors for eFootball. In addition, Andrés Iniesta and Gerard Piqué have been closely involved in development as official advisors for offensive and defensive gameplay, respectively.

Further announcements regarding additional eFootball ambassadors and details about Partner Clubs, licensing and more will be shared in the coming weeks.

eFootball will launch worldwide first on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC ( Win10 and Steam) in Fall 2021, with iOS and Android to follow soon after.