eFootball is a series of association football simulation video games developed and published by Konami. It has been completely rebranded from the original Pro Evolution Soccer (known as Winning Eleven in Japan) series.[1] The game's first year, entitled eFootball 2022, was released on 30 September 2021. It was later changed to the game's second year, eFootball 2023, on August 25, 2022, and its third year, eFootball 2024 on September 7, 2023. This game is part of the International Esports Federation's World Championship and North and Eastern Europa League (NEEC).

eFootball is a well-received and continually evolving digital sports simulation video game series, developed and published by Konami. Initially recognized as "Pro Evolution Soccer" (PES), the franchise underwent a rebranding initiative to transition into a live service model. This transformation resulted in the release of a free-to-play game, eFootball, which aspires to deliver a cutting-edge football (soccer) experience to a global gaming audience.

Within the eFootball series, players can enjoy the inclusion of licensed club teams from various regions across the world, encompassing some of the most prominent clubs in Europe, Latin America, Asia, and beyond. Each in-game Season is thoughtfully designed to mirror real-world trends that influence a range of game modes. Player transfers and performance are meticulously updated in real-time, enabling players to immerse themselves in the ever-evolving world of football, all at their fingertips.

This endeavor seeks to provide a balanced, unbiased, and informative overview of eFootball and its transition from PES to a live service model.

Game Mechanics

Dream Team

Dream Team is the core feature of eFootball, the player assembles a football team from the list of characters that the player has unlocked (signed). The player can make multiple teams and store them in what is known in the game as the “Game Plan List”. These football teams can later be used in all game modes that eFootball offers. A Dream Team consists of selecting 11 footballers, 12 substitutes, and a manager. The player can also choose their team’s playstyle as well as changing their formation to suit their personal preferences.

It's crucial to highlight that the initial manager and player selections remain unaffected by the choice of a Base Team. Additionally, it's noteworthy that participation in Online Quick Matches does not contribute to an increase in a player's Total Matches played count.

Uniform Ratings for Players

This configuration enforces a standardized rating for players' statistics while preserving their distinctive attributes. Uniform rating settings can be active during online matches featuring Authentic Teams.

Matchmaking

The matchmaking system is designed to endeavor to pair you with opponents who share a comparable skill level or are located in your vicinity or a neighboring region. If the opponents you are matched with do not meet your preferences or expectations, you retain the flexibility to adjust your settings within each game mode.

Player Value

Player Value (PV) serves as an assessment of a player's abilities, with the highest attainable rating being 5★. When it comes to trending players, their evaluation is primarily based on their initial statistics. On the other hand, players categorized as Highlight, Featured, Epic, Legendary, and Standard are appraised considering both their initial attributes and their prospects for further development.

Booster

Boosters play a pivotal role in elevating a player's statistical attributes, and they come into effect once the designated Activation Conditions are satisfied. Each Booster is specifically designed to target distinct Player Stats, and additional details about these enhancements can be accessed in the Player Details and Manager Details sections. Notably, any Player Stats benefiting from a Booster will be visibly marked with an accompanying icon. Furthermore, it is essential to note that Boosters will maintain their effectiveness even when the Player Stats reach the maximum value of "99." This ensures that the benefits of Boosters persist regardless of the high level of the player's statistics.

Live Update

Through the mechanism of Live Updates, the in-game representations of team rosters and player transfers are consistently synchronized with real-world developments. Furthermore, the performance of individual players is assessed and assigned a Live Update Rating, graded from 'A' to 'E', reflecting their actual on-field achievements.

In cases where Live Updates are unavailable or inapplicable for a specific player, a provisional rating of 'C' is assigned. The in-match condition of a player is determined by both his Live Update Rating and Form, offering a dynamic and context-sensitive experience.

It's important to note that club teams whose respective real-world football seasons have concluded will temporarily cease to have their squads and Live Update Ratings updated through Live Updates. These updates will be resumed at the onset of the next season, aligning with the natural rhythm of the sport.

Game Modes

Events

Events, a prominent gaming mode, offer an immersive and dynamic experience, pitting participants against both AI-controlled opponents and fellow players. These events present a diverse array of challenges, each accompanied by unique and alluring rewards. One distinguishing feature of this mode is its agility in adapting to the ever-evolving real-world football landscape, consistently introducing new thematic elements every week.

Challenge Event: In the Challenge Event, participants embark on a journey of accomplishment as they strive to complete a series of skill-testing challenges. The beauty of this event lies in its flexibility, allowing players to revisit these challenges multiple times before the event concludes. It's noteworthy that while the initial reward is granted only once, subsequent completions offer an array of distinct and enticing rewards.
Tour Event: The Tour Event, an engaging competition, invites players to showcase their skills against AI-controlled opponents using their meticulously crafted Dream Team. As matches unfold, participants accumulate valuable Event Points, with rewards unlocking as they achieve specific point milestones. A captivating aspect of this event is that conquering higher-level AI opponents leads to greater Event Points. Furthermore, events featuring Player Bonuses provide an incentive to strategically include specific players in your Game Plan, thereby enhancing your Event Points accumulation.
Ranking Event: The Ranking Event, a riveting test of skill and strategy, ranks all participants based on their point accumulation, goal difference, and total goals scored within the designated event period. Merely by partaking in the event and engaging in a single match, players secure eligibility for Participation Rewards. For those who excel and achieve impressive rankings, a plethora of enticing Ranking Rewards await upon the event's conclusion, offering a tangible testament to their prowess.
Themed Event: The Themed Event introduces an element of creativity and adaptability as participants are tasked with crafting a Game Plan that adheres to the unique conditions set for each event. Completion of associated challenges is the key to unlocking a treasure trove of rewards. In situations where players find themselves short of eligible participants to meet the conditions, the game offers a lifeline in the form of Loan Players, exclusive entities available only for the duration of the event.

eFootball League

In an eFootball League mode, participants engage in competitive matches against other users by employing their Dream Team. The primary objective is to advance through a series of Divisions within a designated Phase. Progress is achieved by accumulating victories and ascending through the Divisions, thus unlocking Promotion Rewards. It's important to note that higher Divisions offer more substantial rewards, providing an additional incentive for successful promotion.

Friend Match

In Friend Match mode, the player has the option to establish a Match Room, allowing you to engage in matches against friends under your preferred game configurations. Inform your friends of the Room Number and invite them to join the Match Room. If you desire to engage in one-on-one matches against a friend, you can establish a 1 vs 1 Match Room. Additionally, you can create a Co-op Match Room, enabling gameplay with multiple friends, ranging from 2 vs AI to 3 vs 3 matches. For added privacy, you may opt to set a Password to restrict unauthorized access.

Online Quick Match

In the Quick Match mode, participants engage in matches against other users using their Dream Team. While there are no prizes awarded for winning, this mode provides an opportunity to accrue experience points for your players. This mode is designed to offer quick and enjoyable gameplay.

Development

On 21 July 2021, Konami released a six-minute video revealing the new game.[2] The announcement revealed that the Pro Evolution Soccer brand had been dropped.[3]

The game was released on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on 30 September 2021.[4][2] It was built using Unreal Engine 4 for the first time in the franchise.[5]

On 8 October 2021, Konami announced that it would release a new update with fixes for the game's issues on 28 October 2021.[6] The update was delayed and the release was postponed to November 2021.[7] Konami then launched the update 0.9.1 on 5 November,[8] and announced that the 1.0 update release was delayed until Spring 2022.[9] Version 1.0.0 of eFootball 2022 was finally announced on 6 April 2022, with a release date of 14 April 2022.[10]

On 31 May 2022, Konami announced their roadmap for the rest of 2022 up until 2023 for features such as Master League and the number of teams that can be used in offline mode which will all be released as paid content.[11] However, as of October 2023, features such as Master League and Edit Mode have not been released on PC or consoles, and no further announcements have been made by Konami.

Reception

Following Konami's rebranding of the renowned Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) series as eFootball, a series of substantial modifications have been introduced to the fundamental game design. These alterations have generated significant frustration among the fan base, as numerous long-standing features that have traditionally characterized the Pro Evolution Soccer franchise have been eliminated in favor of newly introduced online game modes. This shift in focus and gameplay dynamics has left many dedicated fans disheartened and seeking a return to the beloved features that have long defined the franchise's identity. (https://gamerant.com/konami-efootball-2024-biggest-improvements-game-needs/#graphical-overhaul) At launch, eFootball 2022 was panned by critics and players, who criticized the "atrocious" graphics,[17] lack of content, laggy engine, and finicky controls.[17] With 92% negative reviews, it became the worst-rated game on Steam a day after launch,[18] and the lowest-rated game of 2021 on the review aggregator Metacritic.[19] Konami later apologized for the game's many issues and said they would work on improving it.[20] A major "1.0" update, that aimed to address many of these issues, was released on 14 April 2022 on PCs and consoles.[21]

The release of eFootball 2024 has sparked considerable criticism from both the gaming community and industry experts, eliciting reservations across various aspects of the game. A prominent source of concern centers on the game's graphical presentation, with many enthusiasts and analysts asserting that the graphics in eFootball 2024 are notably subpar compared to its predecessor, eFootball 2021. This perceptible downgrade in visual quality has resulted in widespread dissatisfaction.