Pro Evolution Soccer Series Renamed to eFootball, Goes Free-to-Play

Japanese publisher Konami has made some substantial changes to the long-running football franchise Pro Evolution Soccer by making the move to globally rebrand as eFootball. eFootball is set to launch this autumn as a free-to-play, download-only game that will expand over time, available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC. It has also been announced that there will be an Android and iOS version, and the game will allow for cross-play on all platforms

 

Konami has announced that it will be dropping the PESname for good. Its flagship football franchise is now named eFootball, and it will be free-to-play on consoles, PC, and mobile.

First, it was Winning Eleven. Then it was Pro Evolution Soccer. Now it’s eFootball. Konami has once again changed the name of its long-running FIFA rival as part of a massive overhaul to how the game will work in the modern gaming climate. This is likely the game that Konami was mysteriously testing back in June.

Konami has announced that eFootball is a free-to-play, “all-new football simulation platform” developed in Unreal Engine and targeting an autumn release on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Steam, before launching on iOS and Android later.

Cross-platform play will arrive post-launch, but cross-generation play will be available at launch. You can see the promised roadmap of other content en route to the game over the course of the year below.

Local matches featuring FC Barcelona, Juventus, FC Bayern, Manchester United, and others will be available, for free, at launch and Konami is set to make announcements about what other clubs and play options will be added further down the line. Some of those modes will be paid, though Konami didn’t confirm the specifics