Pro Evolution Soccer Has Been Canned After 25 Years And Replaced With New Free-To-Play Game
Konami has announced that its Pro Evolution Soccer games will be replaced with a new series called eFootball.
Football games always tend to be a commercial success for companies, but Konami has decided to leave its beloved Pro Evolution Soccer game behind. Instead, the publisher and developer will pursue eFootball, a digital-only and free-to-play game.
The new game intends to be cross-play, although mobile and PC gamers will not be able to play against each other. It will also utilise a new custom-built Unreal Engine 4, rather than the FOX Engine, to replicate the appearances of some of the biggest football stars.
Series producer Seitaro Kimura explained to IGN that eFootball is aiming to take a ‘platform’ approach with regular updates, rather than annual releases that were seen with Pro Evo. The updates for the title that will see rosters change are also reported to be free.
Initially, nine clubs will feature in the game and will include the likes of Barcelona and Juventus. Despite certain teams having specific qualities, Konami has stated that the game is intended to be ‘fair and balanced’.
Peter Drury and Jim Beglin will continue as English-language commentators but there are new additions. Notably, the game will have a new Motion Matching animation system which Konami states will enable four times as many animations as previous Pro Evo games. This technology will be applied to all versions of the game.
6 months agoWhile it is unclear how this game will monetise and whether it will be a hit with players, it may reduce criticism that football games have faced. Many have noted the only things that change between annual games that cost £50 are the player rosters rather than the graphics or quality of life improvements.
According to Konami, more information about eFootball will be revealed in late August. The game itself will be released in the Autumn of 2021.
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