As Konami has confirmed, eFootball 2022, the free-to-play spin-off of Pro Evolution Soccer, will receive a sort of re-release. Although version 1.0 already launched, a “proper” version 1.0 is now being introduced. They express regret and claim to have learned from their mistakes.
What is eFootball 2022 anyway? After PES 21, fans were actually expecting a PES 22 as a successor, as usual. But Konami had other plans: eFootball, a free football game that offers crossplay from mobile to current consoles and PC. At least, that was a bonus compared to FIFA, which still has no crossplay.
eFootball is intended to become a kind of long-lasting football platform that will be continuously expanded. For this purpose, there is an in-game shop where various items can be purchased with real money, as is now familiar from almost every free online game.
The release showed, however, that the game was in a catastrophic state. On Steam, even now, 6 months after the launch, the title is in second to last place in ratings. The feedback from the players was devastating.
Now Konami has announced a comeback attempt, and eFootball will receive its second version 1.0 already in April.
eFootball 2022 introduces new version 1.0, aims to improve everything
This is what the developers say about the new update: In an open message to players, Konami shows remorse and provides insights into the mistakes made at launch. Back then, the developers already apologized and took a stance, which they are now doing again.
According to them, they failed to meet their ambitions and prioritized punctuality over quality. As a result, they brought the game to market too early:
We want to offer football fans worldwide the chance to enjoy a new football game that is as realistic as never before.
With this intent in mind, we began the two-year development period of eFootball 2022. However, we were too focused on getting the game to market on time to keep our most important priority in mind – the quality.
Of course, we were rightly scrutinized by disappointed fans.
They are working hard to restore trust. Players have played a significant role in this, and their feedback will help improve the game.
Now, 6 months after release, they feel ready and want to release a proper version 1.0. This means eFootball is finally in the release state they had wished for.
The update, however, is just the beginning of the actual plans for eFootball 2022, for which there is now also a roadmap.
What’s coming in the update? The version 1.0 includes a long list of improvements and fixes. Here’s a brief overview:
- The defensive controls and behavior of the defense have been revised.
- Passing has been improved, and there is now a command for a “stunning pass”
- Improved shooting
- Improved dribbling
- Better stability of online networks
- Additionally, there is a new mode “Dream Team” in which you can build your own team.
According to Konami, this is just the tip of the iceberg in the patch notes. You can find the previously known content in the developer’s post.
At the same time, however, there was also bad news for mobile players. They will have to wait longer for the update to arrive.
When is the new version 1.0 coming? The update arrives on April 14 for all platforms except mobile. When this will be updated is unknown.
Players fluctuate between hope, skepticism, and disappointment
This is how players react to the announcement: In the official post about the update from the subreddit for eFootball 2022, there are mainly skeptical voices.
While some are tentatively hopeful and look forward to the update, many do not believe that eFootball can be saved by it.
The reason for this is the lack of offline content. There are also no cooperative modes in the F2P game. Especially this point is a disappointment for PES veterans and also one of the reasons why they still prefer PES 21 to this day.
Some fear that Konami will primarily focus on the new Dream Team mode. They also suspect that the lagging mobile version will consume much of the developers’ time and thus delay new modes and content for the other versions.
However, there are also positive voices. They are pleased with the new content and hope that the football simulation can go up from here.
What do you think of the announcement? Have you even engaged with eFootball? Or did the game pass you by due to its troubled start?
