eFootball, the successor to Pro Evolution Soccer, is expected to release soon. Here’s everything we know so far, including the release date, the initial reveal trailer, gameplay features, and more.
Konami shocked the world when they announced the beloved Pro Evolution Soccer football simulation series was being rebranded to eFootball and becoming a free-to-play, digital-only game with cross-platform functionality.
And now that its release date is fast approaching, more details about the game are starting to emerge. Here’s everything we know so far, including when it releases, what it looks like, and a breakdown of their latest gameplay trailer.
Is there a release date for eFootball?
Konami hasn’t revealed the specific eFootball release date yet. However, they did announce that it would drop sometime in early fall, and given that it traditionally releases before FIFA, it’s expected to launch sometime in September 2021.
eFootball trailer
Konami dropped the initial reveal trailer back in July 2021, but it drew a lot of criticism for having what many described as unpolished graphics. Some fans even went as far as saying it looked like a mobile game, claiming it was the end of an era.
eFootball gameplay reveal
However, fans were a little more optimistic after seeing the first official eFootball gameplay trailer on August 26. Not only did the graphics look better, but it also showcased some exciting new gameplay features that players had been hoping for.
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First, we’ll take a look at the trailer itself, followed by a list of everything included.
Controlling the ball touch
eFootball players on the PS5 will be able to ‘feel’ ball touches and control on their controllers due to the Haptic Feedback and Adaptive Trigger Functions. Additionally, the game is also introducing new ways for players to perform touch controls.
Tricking the defender
Players will have greater freedom to control how the player will trap the ball, turning every play into a mind game by using a new set of dribbles and feints and making every moment more exciting.
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Steal the ball and create chances
Likewise, defenders are getting new defensive manoeuvers to block shots and passes, predict movements and actions, and steal the ball.
Physical battles
Attacks and defenders will be more able to take advantage of their strength and realistically fight for the ball.
Sharp kick
In a future update, Konami plans to add an option to charge sharp kicks, sharp crosses, lofted passes, rising shots, and more to make the game more technical. They’ll all have new animations, too.
Focus on duels
With some help from Andres Iniesta and Gerard Pique, eFootball captured human movements and motions to add a new and improved duel feature to make one-on-one battles more realistic in duel situations.
Enhanced team playstyles and new controls
To give players more freedom over their team playstyle, Konami has revamped AI controlling off-the-ball in attacking and defending situations to give players “infinite freedom” to play the way they want.
New ‘duel’ camera
A new duel camera has also been added. It zooms in to capture all the fine details of one-on-one duels happening on the wings.
General Improvements
Last but not least, Konami also revealed several general improvements to player motion and ball movement, and they’ve even added a new ‘seamless restart’ system to make sure the action never stops when the ball goes out.
And that’s everything we know about eFootball so far. It’s a massive departure from Pro Evolution Soccer in many ways, which is bittersweet for dedicated fans who have loved the series throughout the years.
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However, Konami is adamant that it will improve what they’ve built in the past and firmly believe it will make the game a powerhouse in the future. So, we’ll have to wait and see how it all plays out.
