Konami's eFootball Launching As "Basically A Demo"

This year marks a big change for Konami's long-running eFootball series--formerly known as Pro Evolution Soccer--as it transitions to a free-to-play model that will be supported by microtransactions in the years to come. So how much of the game will be free to try out? One that's roughly the size of a demo according to the official eFootball Twitter account which answered several questions from fans this week.

"During “Early Autumn”, eFootball will have no micro-transactions--so everything will be free-to-play at launch. We will then add more content during Autumn. Exact content details to follow," the account tweeted. "We want people to get hands-on with eFootball as soon as possible, so we will launch with a limited number of teams and modes."

Other details shared on eFootball include the game being developed for "consoles first" and it will include multiple features for matchmaking based on location and platform. Players on console and PC who are concerned about a graphical downgrade when matched up against mobile users won't have to worry about diminished visuals on their more powerful platforms.

One of the methods in which eFootball looks to generate revenue is through a Match Pass system that will let players nominate and acquire their favorite soccer stars. The eFootball account added that "free and paid" Match Passes will be available instead of the strong lottery element that previous games made use of. Master League will also be available as premium downloadable content in the future, with more details to be shared in an upcoming announcement.

Konami's eFootball will launch on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC first in Autumn, and will then roll out to iOS and Android at a later date. Producer Seitaro Kimura explained last month that eFootball has become a "platform" and that Konami is ditching annual premium releases in favor of free annual updates instead. As usual, eFootball's biggest rival will be EA's FIFA series, which you can see more of in action with new FIFA 22 gameplay.