Konami Reveals PES Replacement eFootball 2022's Launch Teams, Stadiums, Modes

Konami has announced more details around its free-to-play PES successor, eFootball, including its release date and content that will be available at launch.

The first game in the new series, eFootball 2022 will be released on September 30 across console and PC. As announced previously, the game is taking a live service approach, so the content available at release is just the first step in the product's lifecycle. At release on September 30, players will have access to offline matches against AI or friends with nine clubs to choose from.

• FC Barcelona
• FC Bayern Munchen
• Juventus
• Manchester United
• Arsenal FC
• SC Corinthians Paulista
• CR Flamengo
• CA River Playte
• Sao Paulo FC

Six stadiums will be featured in the game at launch, including:

• Camp Nou
• Old Trafford
• Allianz Stadium
• Emirates Stadium
• Allianz Arena
• eFootball Stadium

The launch content for eFootball 2022 also includes some online events that feature cross-gen matchmaking, Konami said. These online events will arrive weekly, featuring pre-set teams. Players can earn the in-game currency GP for participating in these events.

Looking ahead, Konami said it will release additional updates for eFootball 2022 later in the year that will introduce "several core features," including Creative Teams, which lets you sign players and coaches to create your own fantasy squad. Other content planned for the future includes a Tour Event mode that lets you play against AI teams in a tour format, a Challenge Event for online matches, and online quick match support, among other things.

You can check out Konami's blog post and the roadmap image below to find out more about the content coming to eFootball 2022. On a longer timeline, Konami is also planning to add support for the PS5's DualSense controller to take advantage of its haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. New gameplay features like "advanced ball trapping," and power shots and passes, and cross-platform matchmaking support across PC, console, and mobile.

And speaking of eFootball 2022's mobile edition, Konami said it is finally able to deliver "true console-level gameplay" on iOS and Android thanks to the game's use of the Unreal Engine. People who have the PES 2021 game already installed, they will be prompted to download an update that will transform the game into eFootball 2022. Existing players can carry over "many" of their items to the new game--you can find more details on the official website. And like the PC and console version of eFootball, mobile players can look forward to ongoing updates that add more features and functionality over time, such as controller support.

While Konami is changing things up in a big way with its football offering, EA is sticking with its usual strategy and plans to launch FIFA 2022 on September 27.