After lots of speculation and murmuring, it was confirmed the other day that there would not be a traditional release of Konami’s popular footballer series, eFootball PES. Instead, the 2021 edition will be a seasonal based update as the series transitions over to the Unreal engine. Now, we know both what it will be, as well as when we can get it.

Konami released a new trailer highlighting the update and confirming that it will drop across all platforms in September, which is what previous leaks indicated. Based on the trailer, it seems it will be largely a roster change to reflect the most current make up of their respective teams. Remember, this is an update, meaning you will need to have the currently available eFootball PES 2020 to play this, and you can see our take on that game through here.

eFootball PES 2021 Season Update will launch on September 15th for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.

https://youtu.be/sbYv94pAOoI

Konami had been largely silent on their plans for the next installment in their ongoing footballer series, eFootball PES 2021. Murmurs began to circulate that many this year’s entry would be canceled, but then it was leaked that it would instead be a roster update to last year’s eFootball PES 2020. Well, now we have confirmation of that, as well as big changes coming for the franchise starting next year.

Via the eFootball PES Twitter announced, Konami attached a statement confirming the new status of the 2021 rendition as an update instead of a full retail release. The big surprise is that they say one of the reasons for this is that they are in the process of building the next entry with a new engine, Unreal. This could mean that 2020/2021 could very well mark the final time Konami’s internal Fox Engine will be used.

No date is given for when to expect the update, but the earlier leak pointed to sometime in September. eFootball PES 2020 is available now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, so we’ll keep you updated for when more official information comes out.

[Information regarding the eFootball PES series]

Taking PES to a Whole New Level https://t.co/v5OX0AA4qe pic.twitter.com/sOLoOcak6B

— eFootball (@play_eFootball) July 15, 2020

While EA’s FIFA still largely rules the roost, so to speak, when it comes to football/soccer titles, there is still the ongoing successful alternative of Konami’s PES, now renamed eFootball PES. We have yet to hear anything official about the latest game in the annual franchise, but it seems that signs are now pointing to it being a non-traditional release.

Via the Microsoft store, it was leaked that PES 2021 would be a roster update for the last game in the series, eFootball PES 2020. While that listing is no longer active, you can see some information taken directly from it via Twitter user Roberto Serrano below. It identifies 2021 as an updated version of 2020 releasing September 15th.

As it stands now, nothing official has been announced from publisher Konami about this so we’ll take it as rumor for now, but all signs seem to be pointing that way. Like a lot of developers, they have been no doubt been hit with issues relating to COVID-19 that possibly made shitting a full retail release impossible. We’ll keep you updated as more information comes in.

https://twitter.com/geronimo_73/status/1281890652519903232?s=20

For many, FIFA is the football game, with each annual game in the series always doing massive business. But if you happen to be tired of that formula, or just want something a little different, there’s a solid alternative in the PES series (now titled eFootball PES). The 2020 edition of the game is solid enough, as you can read in our review here, and now there’s a free way to play the game.

Publisher Konami announced eFootball PES 2020 Lite, which is a free version of the game. Despite being free, it actually has quite a lot of content such as many of the already available clubs, stadiums and the ability to play local and co-op missions, as well as go online against those with the full version of the game. Check the trailer for it out below.

eFootball PES 2020 is available now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. Lite is also now live to download for free across all platforms. The full version of game is also slated to come to Xbox Game Pass at some point this month.

Xbox Game Pass’ already impressive catalog of games is going to become much more exciting, considering the bevy of games in line to join the service. The first of those games, which will be coming to Game Pass over the next few days, have been confirmed by Microsoft.

On December 5, side-scrolling action shooter My Friend Pedro and Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker will join Game Pass. The next day, pinball title Demon’s Tilt and musical adventure game Wandersong will be added to the catalog. Finally, December 12 will see the release of eFootball PES 2020, Overcooked! 2, The Division (the first one), and Pathalogic 2.

That’s a pretty solid selection of games. PES 2020 is a pretty recent release too, so anyone who’s been on the fence about giving it a go now has a good reason to. Meanwhile, My Friend Pedro and Pathalogic 2 are both great games, while Overcooked! 2 is excellent if you have someone to play with.

Of course, yesterday, we also saw the release of Halo: Reach via The Master Chief Collection, which is available through Game Pass as well.

eFootball Pro Evolution Soccer 2020 doesn’t ship with the same kits and badges that FIFA 2020 does due to licensing issues. That means clubs like Manchester City and Real Madrid will be unavailable. However, thanks to the ability to add option files to your game, there’s a way to patch them in. Unfortunately, this is only available to the PS4 and PC versions since the Xbox One can’t receive files from a USB drive.

Option files are essentially patches developed by independent sources and allow for adding official kits, badges and teams. It’s fairly similarly to how the Football Manager franchise keeps adding in official kits and crests.

PES World and PES Patch may be good sources but the process for installing on each platform is different. For PS4, you’ll need to download the files to a folder called WEPES. Transfer this to a USB device and place it in the PS4. Load up PES 2020, head to the Extra menu and select Edit.

From there, you can choose Import/Export. Accept the Data Import Precautions and go to Import Competition – this lets you choose which files get imported. Once accepted, leave the Advanced Settings option alone and hit “OK”. The same process can be done for Import Team.

For PC, you might have to download a RAR file and extract it. Copy the WEPES file into the PES 2020 folder on your computer – it’ll be under Documents > Konami > Pro Evolution Soccer 2020. Once again, load up PES 2020, go to the Extras menu and then Edit. Select Data Management, and then Import Team and Import Competition as before.

For PS4, the teams and kits can be used online especially in MyClub. However for PC, they can be used in Exhibition and offline modes. For a more detailed guide, check out the video below by Bromo18 for the whole process:

The UKIE/Gfk Chart-Track UK sales charts for video games for the week ending September 14 show some interesting activity, with four new games debuting within the top 5 positions (via GamesIndustry). Taking the top spot is Borderlands 3, which, with just two days on the market, has immediately become the biggest boxed launch for a game in the UK this year. That said, its physical launch sales are less than half of what Borderlands 2 managed in 2012- the obvious explanation here being that the rampant rise of digital distribution has cut down on physical numbers for the game.

In second place is Gears 5, which has sold a quarter of what Gears of War 4 managed at launch in 2016. The difference here is that Gears 5 is available via Game Pass (where it seems to be doing rather well) on both the Xbox One and PC, which has most likely affected traditional sales figures.

Konami’s yearly football sim eFootball PES 2020 debuts in third place, beating PES 2019’s launch week sales by 18.5 per cent. NBA 2K20, which debuted on top of the charts last week, has fallen down to fourth place. Meanwhile, Spiders’ new RPG GreedFall has also seen a solid debut, taking the fifth spot in its launch week.

The rest of the top 10 is dominated by the usual suspects we’ve come to expect to see in these charts, including the likes of GTA 5, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Spyro, and Crash. You can check out the full top 10 below.

1. Borderlands 3
2. Gears 5
3. eFootball PES 2020
4. NBA 2K20
5. GreedFall
6. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
7. Spyro Reignited Trilogy
8. Grand Theft Auto 5
9. Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
10. Super Mario Maker 2

"Though the football itself is as good as ever – perhaps even better, thanks to some tweaks – most of the changes made by Konami to the game are of the superficial variety, and there’s very little here that actually refreshes the series like many would have been hoping."

Before we get to the changes PES 2020 does make though, let’s talk about the thing that really matters first- the on-pitch action. While PES 2019 quickened the pace of the game to make nearly every match a blistering affair of bombing runs and high-speed attacks, PES 2020 dials the pace back down. In doing so, it injects more variety into how one might approach any given match. The focus on building up the play from the back and through the midfield is greater here than it was last year, and that allows you to take stock of the team you’re playing against and shape your own strategy accordingly. 

That matters, because opposing teams function with much better AI this year. They respond to your actions more effectively and more realistically, they’re much more adept at defending against attacks, and similarly, much more capable of crafting their own formidable counters. Going down by a goal means that they immediately try to push up the field and score an equalizer, while if you’re losing, you’ll find the opposing team being less ambitious in offence and worrying more about defending their lead. As such, more often than not, you have to tailor the way you play based on the situation you find yourself in during matches, rather than relying on the same strategy for every single match, against every single team. 

It also helps that there’s a greater margin for error in your own actions as well. Passes and through balls are much less guaranteed to find their intended target than you’d expect, and PES 2020 actually takes into account factors such as your position when you receive the ball, the direction you’re facing, the pace at which the ball is passed, and the defenders around you and your teammates while deciding if the pass you’ve made will even be a good one, much less one that lands at the feet of the player you want it to. This means that you also have to be spatially aware, and actually think about your next move while building attacks. This, combined with the improved dribbling, gives you a lot more to think about when you’re in possession of the ball.

"More often than not, you have to tailor the way you play based on the situation you find yourself in during matches, rather than relying on the same strategy for every single match, against every single team."

Improvements on the pitch are also backed up by improvements to the presentation. PES 2020 has a new default camera, which mirrors a real-life matchday broadcast much more closely. In addition, pre-match cutscenes showing the stadia, the tunnels, the pitch, and the players are all rendered very well, and it all comes together to deliver the strongest presentation that I’ve seen in a PES game to date. The stadia and player models themselves look great as well, for the most part, especially when it comes to grounds that are fully licensed. The commentary is still as stale and repetitive as ever, and it’s high time the series makes some much-needed improvements in this area, but at least the visual aspects of the presentation have improved.

Visual improvements can be seen in other areas as well- more specifically, the user interface. PES games had been using the same clunky, archaic menus for years, and with each new instalment, they would feel progressively more dated. The menus and interface in PES 2020 are slick and minimalistic. And sure, this is a very cosmetic change, and when all is said and done, won’t have any mechanical impact- but it’s nice to see the game making this much-needed change, even if it’s a change that should have come a long time ago. 

So the moment-to-moment simulation is as strong as ever, thanks to some minor but important tweaks, while the game’s presentation has improved significantly- but what about other areas that have been in dire need of an improvement for some time now? For instance, what about the Master League? PES’ single player career mode has been lambasted in recent years for being static and in need of an overhaul, and PES 2020 definitely makes some changes. But are they enough to give the mode the shot in the arm it needs?

"The moment-to-moment simulation is as strong as ever, thanks to some minor but important tweaks, while the game’s presentation has improved significantly"

Disappointingly enough, that doesn’t seem to be the case. There are some improvements that deserve to be mentioned. Transfers are much more realistic now, and negotiations actually feel like negotiations, rather than arbitrarily throwing around ridiculous sums to get the players you want. There are also cutscenes that show media interactions, and interactions with members of your staff, and many of these also see you making some dialogue choices. 

And while the improvement to the transfers is appreciated, those aforementioned cutscenes don’t really add much. They have little to no impact on things, other than some minor changes in player morale – which themselves doesn’t manifest in any meaningful way – and after you’ve seen the same cutscenes twice or thrice, you’ll get bored of them and skip through them- I certainly did. So Master League has seen some minor improvements, along with some additions that ultimately add very little- and at the end of the day, it’s still the same Master League experience we’ve been seeing in PES for years now. As it was in last year’s game, and the one before that, so it is in PES 2020- Master League is in desperate need of a reinvention. 

Outside of Master League, myClub remains virtually unchanged. Konami have also introduced the new Matchday feature. It definitely seems promising, but at launch, it’s not actually interesting as much as it is conceptually interesting. Even if Konami do invest time and resources into it though, I just don’t see how in its current form it could become anything more than a neat thing to keep an eye on on the side.

"Master League has seen some minor improvements, along with some additions that ultimately add very little- and at the end of the day, it’s still the same Master League experience we’ve been seeing in PES for years now. As it was in last year’s game, and the one before that, so it is in PES 2020- Master League is in desperate need of a reinvention."

The biggest issue with PES 2020 is that the changes and improvements it makes – for the most part – rarely go beyond the surface level. Mechanical gameplay on the pitch has changed tangibly, but as you’d expect, these are iterative changes rather than completely new additions. What PES has been in need of is something to keep players engaged with its strong simulation gameplay. In not making any significant improvements to its meatier modes, it misses out on that opportunity. PES 2020 is an accomplished football sim, but the same could be said for PES 2019, and the changes Konami has made this year don’t amount to much. As such, if you already have last year’s game, I find it a little hard to recommend getting PES 2020 as well. Maybe next year, with the advent of next gen consoles, Konami will actually move the series forward in a meaningful way.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 4.

Konami has largely stepped away from the console market. While they’ve signaled an ambition to return in some form, as of now the only major budget console release they have is their ongoing football series, PES (Pro Evolution Soccer). This year’s edition is getting a new name as eFootball PES 2020, as well as securing several exclusive licenses. One thing it will continue not doing, though, is being on Nintendo platforms.

In an interview with RealSport, PES Brand Manager, Lennart Bonzein, acknowledged that the company had a strong relationship with Nintendo and has released most of their recent titles on the Switch, but unfortunately, PES will be the exception.

“I can’t really talk about the Switch, all I can say is that I love the Switch. I think it’s an amazing console and I really enjoy playing on it. As a company, Konami is aware of the Switch – we released Bomberman last year, we are releasing Contra on the Switch. For PES right now, just the current factors that the game is coming out on the three platforms – PS4, Xbox One and PC means there is no Switch version planned right now.”

It’s an interesting dynamic, especially when you consider the game rival to PES, FIFA 20, is literally the only thing that EA puts on the Switch while PES will be the one thing Konami hasn’t put on Switch in the last few years. Funny how life works out that way.

Either way, eFootball PES 2020 will release on September 10th for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. Speaking of FIFA, if you’re curious about the breakdown between the two annual series for this year, we got you covered with 15 things you’ll need to know about both.

FIFA 20: VOLTA

FIFA 19 brought an end to the story-oriented The Journey mode that was introduced in FIFA 17, but EA Sports are replacing it with something very interesting in FIFA 20. VOLTA is a street football-focused mode, which lets you play in seventeen different arenas across the world in several variants- 3v3, 4v4, 5v5, or even professional football with futsal rules. We will also be able to customize our own created player, across gender, clothing, shoes, accessories, tattoos, and more. Interestingly enough, VOLTA will also have a story mode to replace The Journey, which will chart the journey of our own created player.

FIFA 20: CAREER MODE INTERACTIONS

Career Mode has been a mainstay of the FIFA franchise for as long as anyone can remember, but sadly, in recent years, it’s grown a bit stale. With FIFA 20, however, it seems like EA Sports are listening to feedback and making some important changes and improvements. For instance- interactions with the press, and with our own players. Pre and post-match conferences will see a better and more dynamic visual representation, where you will be asked questions by the journalists in attendance based on a variety of things, such as the match’s result, your opponent, goals scored, the time of season or the stage of competition, and more. One on one conversations will see you interacting with players in your club through a messaging-app-style screen, like in previous games, but will give you more options in how to respond. Both press conferences and player conversations – and how you handle them – will affect things like your manager rating and the morale of players in your club.

FIFA 20: MORE CAREER MODE IMPROVEMENTS

There are other improvements coming to Career Mode as well. Manager avatars will be much more customizable. For the first time ever, players will be able to create a female manager. In terms of customization, players can change various aspects of their manager’s appearance. You will also be able to change the outfits and accessories of your manager at any time in the Career Mode. 

Another significant new improvement is being made to player morales. Factors such as the team’s performance, how much match time a player is getting, what their wages are, and how the player is performing will all have an impact on morale, with morale in turn influencing players’ attributes in upcoming matches. Meanwhile, potential overall ratings for players have also changed, and will change dynamically based on how they have been performing.

FIFA 20: SET PIECES

It seems like every two or three years now, FIFA introduces a completely new way to take free kicks and penalties- and it’s happening again in FIFA 20. Players will now have a target on the screen, allowing you to aim with more precision. Meanwhile, free kicks can also be spiced up by adding curl, dip, or knuckle to your shots.

FIFA 20: BALL PHYSICS

FIFA 20 is also implementing something called the Ball Motion System, which will allow for physics-based movement of the ball, making for (in theory) more realistic movement of the ball itself. Authentic spins, realistic bounces, realistic curl, and more should hopefully help pave the way for more dipping shots, curling shots, rising strikes, and more.

FIFA 20: NEW ULTIMATE TEAM MODES

Ultimate Team is the moneymaker for FIFA as far as EA Sports is concerned (thank you, gambling surprise mechanics), and a couple of new game modes are being added to Ultimate Team in FIFA 20. There’s King of the Hill, in which players will fight for possession of the ball in a randomly designated area of the pitch. The more you keep the ball in that area, the more the next goal you score will be worth. Then there’s Mystery Ball, which will see every match boosting a particular stat of your team at random, including Passing, Shooting, Dribbling, Speed- or even all attributes.

FIFA 20: NEW ULTIMATE TEAM ICONS

Every year sees more new legendary former players being added to the list of icons in FIFA Ultimate Team, and FIFA 20 is adding 15 more FUT Icons this year. Among these, the likes of Ronald Koeman, Zinedine Zidane, Andrea Pirlo, Didier Drogba, Ian Wright, and Carlos Alberto will be included. 

FIFA 20: NINTENDO SWITCH VERSION

Yeah, the Switch gets FIFA games every year as well- we all keep forgetting, right? It’s easy to see why- EA releases heavily hamstrung and inferior versions of its game on the system, which don’t even run on Frostbite, and are always lacking in major modes and features. But with FIFA 20, things are going to be even worse for Switch owner, since the Nintendo platform is only getting a Legacy Edition release this year. Which means it’s going to be literally the exact same game as last year, but with updated kits, squads, and licenses. They’re officially not even trying anymore.

PES 2020: PUSH FOR ONLINE

The first and most obvious sign that Konami are going in a new direction with PES this year (other than, you know, them saying it) is the fact that the game’s name has changed. It’s no longer just Pro Evolution Soccer. No, this year’s game is called eFootball Pro Evolution Soccer 2020. Which is a mouthful, sure, but it’s significant, because it signifies a great push for online gaming, and a greater push for esports with PESLeague and eFootball Pro tournaments.

PES 2020: LICENSES

If there’s one area where the PES franchise consistently lags behind FIFA, it’s the licenses. And while the major domestic leagues and the Champions League licenses are still with FIFA, PES 2020 is at least offering official, full licenses for several individual teams. These include Barcelona, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, and Juventus. This includes their stadiums as well, as well as fully body scanning for many of their players. 

Interestingly, with Juventus, PES 2020 has an exclusive license, which means it’ll be the only game with Juventus appearing in an official capacity. In FIFA 20, Juventus will be called Piemonte Calcio, and will have a custom badge, kit, and and a generic stadium. That said, that’s all that will be affected- Juventus players, though, will still be represented with their real names and likenesses.

PES 2020: MATCHDAY

The new Matchday mode is indicative of that greater push for online gaming that we spoke of. Each week, Konami will pick two teams or a derby match, and players will then be able to side with either of those two teams. Every successful action in matches – from passes to goals – will contribute to the total points for the team you’re playing as. At the end of every week, the game will analyse the best-performing player for both sides, and these two players will then be able to compete in a Grand Final. This final, incidentally, will also be livestreamed, which, in turn, will be integrated in Matchday mode itself.

PES 2020: MASTER LEAGUE

Master League, which is PES’ career mode, has been in dire straits for a long time, but it seems like it’s getting a much needed reinvention this year. For starters, there’s a new dialogue system in place, which will allow players to have more control over the choices and decisions they make as a manager. Financial elements, such as transfer fees and player wages, are also being made more realistic. 

PES 2020: MORE MASTER LEAGUE IMPROVEMENTS

Several other major improvements and additions are also being made, such as able to create and customize sponsor logos (which you’ll be able to see in the background during press conferences and interviews), being able to customize your manager avatar, or even being able to select one of several legendary former players as your manager avatar, including the likes of Zico, Diego Maradona, and more.

PES 2020: ON-PITCH IMPROVEMENTS

As always, Konami are making incremental yet significant improvements to the on-pitch gameplay as well- that’s the one are where PES is always at the top of its game, and it doesn’t look like that much is going to change with PES 2020. These include better ball physics, better tripping physics, better first touch, new skills and abilities, new defending techniques (such as intentional fouls), context-sensitive accuracy from free kicks, and more.

PES 2020: OVERHAULED UI

The user interface in PES games has been a point of criticism for the last few years, with critics saying that it looks cluttered, dull, and most of all, just outdated- all of which is true enough. However, with PES 2020, Konami are finally listening to all that feedback. This year’s instalment will have a completely new and redesigned UI- here’s hoping it’s one that’s miles better than the one we’ve had for a while.