Konami have released Data Pack 2.0 for Pro Evolution Soccer 2019, which adds some new things to the game, while also fixing and updating older content. As far as the latter is concerned, the faces of over a hundred players in the game have been updated, so they should match their real life counterparts a bit more closely now, while the kits of a few teams have also been updated.

Legend players that were featured in PES 2018 have been added into the game, along with some new Legend players from Konami’s “partner clubs”. These haven’t yet been added to myClub, but Konami will be making announcements for the same soon. Meanwhile, there are also new player portraits – which is what you see at the beginning of a match while formations are being shown – for a few players.

There are also two new licensed leagues – the Chinese Football Association Super League and the Thai League. On top of that, the update adds two new stadiums to the game, these being AS Monaco’s home ground Stade Louis II, and the eSports stadium, eFootball.Pro Arena. The latest Nike and Puma boot models have also been added to the game.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 is currently available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Read our review of the game here.

Following in the wake of Conan: Exiles taking top spot in the software charts in Japan last week, it’s now time for another PS4 game to top the video game software charts in Japan- Media Create reports that the best selling game in Japan last week was Winning Eleven 2019, better known in the west as Pro Evolution Soccer 2019. Conan: Exiles got knocked down to second place.

Elsewhere in the charts, Nintendo games continue to leg it out, including Splatoon 2, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. There is one very important and notable exception here, however- Super Mario Odyssey has fallen out of the top 20 (as has Octopath Traveler), giving further credence to the notion that Breath of the Wild is now doing better than Odyssey.

On the hardware front, with a little over 42,000 units sold, the Switch topped charts again, with the PS4 coming in at a week second place, with sales under 20,000 units again. The 3DS, with a slight week-on-week increase, rounded out the top three again.

You can see the full sales charts below.

Media Create Sales: Week 35, 2018 (Aug 27 – Sep 02)

01./00. [PS4] Winning Eleven 2019 <SPT> (Konami) {2018.08.30} (¥7.600) – 73.389 / NEW
02./01. [PS4] Conan Exiles <ACT> (Spike Chunsoft) {2018.08.23} (¥6.800) – 20.509 / 52.626 (-36%)
03./03. [NSW] Minecraft <ADV> (Microsoft Game Studios) {2018.06.21} (¥3.600) – 19.110 / 249.514 (+5%)
04./04. [NSW] Splatoon 2 # <ACT> (Nintendo) {2017.07.21} (¥5.980) – 16.960 / 2.589.842 (+6%)
05./06. [NSW] Mario Kart 8 Deluxe <RCE> (Nintendo) {2017.04.28} (¥5.980) – 13.259 / 1.735.297 (+1%)
06./00. [NSW] Little Dragons Cafe <SLG> (Marvelous) {2018.08.30} (¥5.800) – 11.860 / NEW
07./00. [PS4] Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker <ACT> (Bandai Namco Games) {2018.08.30} (¥7.200) – 10.685 / NEW
08./07. [NSW] Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun! <ACT> (Bandai Namco Games) {2018.07.19} (¥6.100) – 9.766 / 182.614 (-10%)
09./09. [NSW] Mario Tennis Aces <SPT> (Nintendo) {2018.06.22} (¥5.980) – 7.721 / 332.211 (-13%)
10./02. [NSW] My Hero: One’s Justice <FTG> (Bandai Namco Games) {2018.08.23} (¥7.600) – 7.669 / 32.294 (-69%)
11./10. [NSW] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild # <ADV> (Nintendo) {2017.03.03} (¥6.980) – 7.416 / 1.099.210 (-1%)
12./08. [3DS] WarioWare Gold <ETC> (Nintendo) {2018.08.02} (¥4.980) – 6.217 / 85.627 (-31%)
13./11. [NSW] Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker <ADV> (Nintendo) {2018.07.13} (¥3.980) – 5.747 / 114.445 (-11%)
14./13. [3DS] Pokemon Ultra Sun / Ultra Moon <RPG> (Pokemon Co.) {2017.11.17} (¥4.980) – 5.693 / 1.715.350 (-4%)
15./00. [PS4] Firewall Zero Hour |PlayStation VR| # <ACT> (Sony Interactive Entertainment) {2018.08.30} (¥4.900) – 5.468 / NEW
16./00. [PS4] Little Dragons Cafe <SLG> (Marvelous) {2018.08.30} (¥5.800) – 5.308 / NEW
17./14. [NSW] Kirby Star Allies <ACT> (Nintendo) {2018.03.16} (¥5.980) – 5.203 / 606.779 (-3%)
18./05. [PS4] My Hero: One’s Justice <FTG> (Bandai Namco Games) {2018.08.23} (¥7.600) – 5.192 / 21.218 (-68%)
19./00. [PSV] Pioneer no Banshou # <ADV> (Idea Factory) {2018.08.30} (¥6.300) – 5.153 / NEW
20./12. [NSW] Pro Baseball Famista Evolution <SPT> (Bandai Namco Games) {2018.08.02} (¥6.100) – 4.830 / 82.581 (-19%)

Hardware

1. Switch – 42,151 (46,259)
2. PlayStation 4 – 12,189 (14,122)
3. New 2DS LL – 5,670 (5,015)
4. PlayStation 4 Pro – 4,402 (8,716)
5. PlayStation Vita – 2,452 (2,540)
6. New 3DS LL – 2,126 (2,420)
7. 2DS – 496 (362)
8. Xbox One X – 45 (58)
9. Xbox One – 24 (53)

If you’re ready, then let’s get started!

GENERAL TIPS AND TRICKS

Change The Game Length

PES is a series that has always moved at a slower pace than FIFA. Because of this, the default five-minute length of half-time may end up being too short since it won’t give you enough chances to have those exciting moments you crave for. It would be a good idea to increase the length of half-time to at least six minutes because that extra minute really can make a difference to your experience.

Make Use Of The Training Mode

The game has quite a few complex mechanics that can be hard to get right, and this includes the First Touch. If you’re unable to use such moves correctly, it may end up costing you a match. Make use of the training mode to learn the essential moves and tricks that will help you on the field.

Don’t Always Sprint

While sprinting is a great way to go quickly across the field, you have to be careful when using it. Recklessly sprinting is a surefire way to get tackled. A good idea would be to slow down when you see players from the opponent team getting close as you won’t be able to simply sprint past them.

Watch Out For Free Kicks

In this newest installment in the series, free kicks can be devastating and can easily lead to goals. On the plus side, it also means that you will be able to score goals easier when you get a free kick. So, do your best to avoid conceding free kicks to your opponents.

Be Careful When Defending

When you see an opponent getting closer to your goalpost, your first instinct might be to run straight to him. However,  you will need to be a bit more tactical than that because simply running to the opponent with the ball will end up leaving your defense completely open. Make sure you have enough players behind you to get the ball in case you miss before going in for a tackle.

Make Use Of Advanced Instructions

The Advanced Instructions menu helps you make use of some great tactics to use out in the field. These include tactics such as rotating wingers, deep defensive lines, and more which will help you adapt to any situation you come across in the game.

Don’t Abuse The Sliding Tackle

You might be tempted to keep using the sliding tackle, but you should exercise some restraint. Using the sliding tackle can easily end up in a foul, or if not, the opponent may just avoid the tackle entirely leaving one of your players down for a short bit. Avoid using them especially as the opponents near your goalpost as this could potentially end up in a penalty.

HIGHEST RATED PLAYERS

Some of the biggest arguments regarding the game revolve around who the highest rated players in the game are. If you’re interested to see who these top rated players in the game, you can check out the lists below. We know what you all would want to know right away though: Messi Or Ronaldo? Well, both!

Top Rated Defenders 

• J. Boateng: He is a CB with an overall rating of 87.
• V. Van Dijk: He is a CB for Liverpool  with an overall rating of 87.
• Thiago Silva: He is a CB for PSG with an overall rating of 87.
• Pique: He is a CB for Barcelona with an overall rating of 88.
• S. Umtiti: He is a CB for Barcelona with an overall rating of 87.
• G. Chiellin: He is a CB for PM Black White with an overall rating of 87.
• Marcelo: He is an LB for MD white with an overall rating of 88.
• M. Hummels: He is a CB with an overall rating of 89.
• Sergio Ramos: He is a CB for MD White with an overall rating of 89.

Top Rated Forwards

• E. Cavani: He is a CF for PSG with an overall rating of 89.
• H. Kane: He is a CF for North East London with an overall rating of 89.
• L. Suarez: He is a CF for Barcelona with an overall rating of 90.
• M. Salah: He is a RWF for Liverpool with an overall rating of 90.
• E. Hazard: He is a LWF for London FC with an overall rating of 90.
• R. Lewandowski: He is a CF with an overall rating of 90.
• A. Griezmann: He is a CF with KB Red White with an overall rating of 90.
• Neymar: He is a LWF for PSG with an overall rating of 93.
• L. Messi: He is SS for Barcelona with an overall rating of 94.
• C. Ronaldo: He is a CF for MD White with an overall rating of 94.

Top Rated Goalkeepers

• G. Buffon: He is the GK for PM Black White with an overall rating of 86.
• S. Handanovic: He is the GK for Internazional with an overall rating of 86.
• Ederson: He is the GK for Man Blue  with an overall rating of 87.
• Alisson: He is the GK for Roma with an overall rating of 87.
• T. Courtois: He is the GK for London FC with an overall rating of 87.
• H. Lloris: He is the GK for North East London with an overall rating of 87.
• M. Terstegen: He is the GK for Barcelona with an overall rating of 88.
• J. Oblak: He is the GK for KB Red White with an overall rating of 89.
• M. Neuer: He is a GK with an overall rating of 90.
• David De Gea: He is the GK for Man Red with an overall rating of 91.

Top Rated Midfielders

• Thiago A.: He is a CMF with an overall rating of 87.
• C. Eriksen: He is an AMF for North East London with an overall rating of 87.
• A. Vidal: He is a CMF with an overall rating of 87.
• David Silva: He is an AMF for Man Blue with an overall rating of 87.
• M. Ozil: He is an AMF for Arsenal with an overall rating of 87.
• N. Kante: He is a CMF for London FC with an overall rating of 87.
• Iniesta: He is a CMF for Barcelona with an overall rating of 87.
• L. Modric: He is a CMF for MD White with an overall rating of 89.
• K. De Bruyne: He is an AMF for Man Blue with an overall rating of 90.
• T. Kroos: He is a CMF for MD White with an overall rating of 90.

HOW TO INSTALL OPTIONAL FILES ON PS4

If you want to completely licensed leagues and teams in the game, then your best bet is to import them into the game, but it’s quite a long process. The first thing you will have to do is format your USB drive to FAT32. To do so, open Computer and then click Manage, and then select Disk Management. Here you will be able to select your USB drive to format it to FAT32.

Once you’ve done that, create a new folder called WEPES inside the USB drive to store all of the optional files. You can now proceed to download the optional files from the following site (https://www.pes-patch.com/pes-2019). Extract all of the files from the downloaded folder into the WEPES folder on your USB drive. Next, plug the USB drive to your PS4 and go the Extras menu and then select Data Management and then Import/Export and then select Import. Now select all of the files to import and then move on to the Advanced Settings. Here you will be presented a few options, and you should just leave all of the boxes unticked. It will take a few minutes for all the files to get imported and once they’re done, make sure to save the game’s state on the Data Management page.

if you want to import league emblems, the process is a little more long-winded. Just open Data Management again and  then Import/Export and then select Import images and then choose Competition Emblems. Next, you will be presented with options to select which league emblems you want to import. Just tick all of the boxes and wait for them to be imported. Next, just navigate to Edit and then Competitions and then select the League you want to, and then click on Emblem and then Load the emblem you want. Save the changes in the menu and that’s it! You’re done!

HOW TO INSTALL OPTIONAL FILES ON PC

To get licensed leagues and teams in the PC version  of the game is much easier than  for the PS4. First of all, download the optional files from the following site for the PC (https://www.pes-patch.com/pes-2019). Once you’ve downloaded the necessary files, install the  files to the game’s folder location. That’s it! You will now be able to enjoy licensed leagues and teams in the game!

NEW MYCLUB FEATURES

myClub is the online component of PES 2019, and this year’s installment in the series brings a lot of changes to this feature. You can find below a full list of all of the changes to the feature.

Featured Players

You can improve overall rating of players based on and they may also learn new skills if they become Featured Players. Basically, have a player perform well in weekend matches to make them a Featured Player. This feature will also grant a special overall rating to partner club players. This feature is a good way to better your myClub team.

Duplicate Players

You can sign duplicates of players and 3 of these can be traded for another player of the same rarity. Any player you get through trading will start at your club at level 1.

Skill and Position Trainers

Skill trainers are used to focus on improving a particular skill for a player. Position trainers on the other hand are used to increase a player’s suitability to a particular position. Make sure you use both these trainers to improve your squad in the game.

Acquire More Number Of Player

You can now possess more than 1,000 players in total in the game so there won’t be a need to expand slots in the game.

Manager Lists

You will have a greater chance to acquire the particular manager you want since manager lists will update more frequently in this game.

myClub Legends

You will be able to play legends of the past in myClub and the list of legends will be updated when necessary.

Change in Value

It will cost 100 myClub coins to sign a single player, and you can also find an agent to sign three players for just 250 coins. Alternatively, you can also just use GP with some agents.

Acclaim Level

Your Acclaim level in the game is basically your skill in winning 1v1 matches. Win more matches to improve your Acclaim level, and if you win a tournament, you’ll even get a special Acclaim title.

Compare Squads

You can now compare squads to check out the squads of players you come across often and also that of the top ranking players. This will allow you some insight  into what their strategies are and how to deal with them.

Weekly Rankings

Any match that you play will impact what your rank is, and this will then determine your division standing. There will be Group Rankings in the game here users of similar skill levels will play against each other, and at the end of each week, the top players in these groups will receive some special rewards. You can make use of the new WHAT’S ON feature to keep up with any online tournaments that are going on.

ML REAL SEASON

There are quite a few improvements and changes to the ML Real Season this time around. This includes re-sell and clean sheet options so you’l have to manage your club wisely. There will also be an improved budget management and negotiation system. You can find details regarding all of the changes below.

Realistic Player Development

There are 11 new skill traits for players and player development is more realistic than it’s ever  been in the series. You can choose how much exactly to focus on the different skills that you’re training.

Team Role

Players can have one of any four personality traits and this will determine what their Team Role will be. Team roles can be different things such as Hero, Playmaker, Superstar, and more. There will also be new team role effects such as Rising Star, Bad Boy, and Superstar.

News Feed

There will now be a news feed in the game that will bring videos of press conferences,  winning awards, titles, and other such important information related to your club.

Transfer Negotiations

You will now be able to know in advance the terms/conditions related to transfer negotiations from the start.

Crash Bandicoot’s reign at the top of the UK charts was ended last week by F1 2018, which usurped it to claim the top spot; this week, F1 continues to hold on to the top spot in the latest UK charts, with Konami’s PES 2019 taking second place.

Crash doesn’t get third place either, with Rockstar’s freak of nature Grand Theft Auto 5 taking up that spot instead. Crash instead comes in at fourth place, with the newly launched Yakuza Kiwami 2 taking up fifth place. Yes, we live in a world where a Yakuza game charts in the top five in the U.K. Truly, this is the best timeline.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe takes up the sixth spot, while Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate debuts in ninth place. Most of the typical Nintendo evergreens chart outside the top 10 this time around, with Super Mario Odyssey showing up at number 15.

You can check out the full charts for yourself below.

1. (1) F1 2018
2. (New) PES 2019
3. (4) Grand Theft Auto V
4. (3) Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy 
5. (New) Yakuza Kiwami 2
6. (5) Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
7. (11) PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
8. (6) God of War
9. (New) Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate
10. (10) FIFA 18
11. (New) Firewall Zero Hour
12. (7) LEGO The Incredibles 
13. (24) PlayStation VR Worlds
14. (8) Call of Duty: WW2
15. (13) Super Mario Odyssey
16. (New) Strange Brigade
17. (31) The Sims 4
18. (15) LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2
19. (12) Far Cry 5
20. (14) Minecraft

"PES 2019 a game that will satisfy your every need if just playing football is all you really care about, but if you are looking for Konami’s game to match EA Sports’ levels of pomp, panache, and presentational brilliance, you’ll be sorely disappointed."

In any other game or in any other genre, one would look at such aspects and simply wave them away with the most cursory of looks, calling them mere window dressing that ultimately couldn’t matter less if it tried. And were this any other genre we were talking about, that is what I would do too. But in a sports simulation game that is trying to imitate and simulate not just the on-pitch action itself, but everything surrounding it as well, such deficiencies end up mattering a lot. Pro Evolution Soccer 2019’s archaic UI, boring commentary, and its lack of important licenses hurt the game quite a bit. Such things go a long way towards creating a sense of atmosphere, which is very important for this kind of an experience, even though the most veteran PES fans might refuse to accept that.

It’s not that PES 2019 doesn’t even try to make improvements in these areas- it certainly does. The visuals, for one, are far crisper and far more beautiful than anything I’ve seen from Konami in the past, which automatically adds more sheen and detail to everything you could look at. Players’ faces and bodies are scanned in and presented with great accuracy, while the stadiums that PES 2019 does have licenses for are recreated with such care and love, you can’t help but stare at them with appreciation the moment the game first shows them off (Barcelona’s Camp Nou is especially a delight). Even the crowd sounds more enthusiastic than it ever has before, and critics of PES would know that a flat and lifeless crowd has been one of the series’ most major sticking points for some time now.

But while the crowd is louder and more reactive, it still feels clearly manufactured, like you can almost pinpoint tracks of audio being triggered by a specific moment in the game- especially in the unlicensed stadiums. It doesn’t feel natural, and it doesn’t evoke the kind of excitement that it should. The commentary is slightly improved over last year with some new lines peppered in here and there, but it still sounds choppy, lifeless, and boring. Navigating the menus isn’t a pain, of course, but even though they are more or less serviceable, they look cluttered and positively ancient, almost entirely unchanged through the series’ history over the last few years. Similarly, ignoring the licenses – or there lack thereof – is easy while you’re actually playing football, but there are moments when you look at the scoreline, or the advertisement boards, and you look at all the players that are wearing plain, unadorned jerseys, all of which clearly looks very different from how it’s supposed to, and upon looking at these things, you can’t help but feel like there’s something just not quite right. It pulls you out of the experience a little bit. It breaks the illusion- all these things come together to significantly impact PES 2019’s atmosphere, and in a game such as this one, that matters a great deal. This isn’t a new problem with PES 2019, of course. It’s been true for a long time, and it’s true this year as well.

But if you’re the sort of person that can look past that stuff and only cares about what happens on the pitch, PES 2019 is going to be an absolute delight (for the most part). It continues to do what PES games have always been known for doing- offering an experience that is truly a simulation, with a slowed down pace of gameplay that allows you to formulate free-flowing and beautiful attacks on the fly and then put them into practice with perfect execution. That particular element of the game becomes even more emphasized because of PES 2019’s overhauled animations system, which determines what kind of pass you’ll be sending over to the next player, how successful it will be, or, in some cases, whether or not you’ll even be able to connect with the ball. It all depends on the way the player is moving, what angle he’s receiving a ball at, as well as the trajectory of the ball itself.

"All these things come together to significantly impact PES 2019’s atmosphere, and in a game such as this one, that matters a great deal. This isn’t a new problem with PES 2019, of course. It’s been true for a long time, and it’s true this year as well."

That ties in with ball physics, which is another one of PES 2019’s major overhauls. The football itself feels appropriately weighty, reacting to impact from shots and bounces in ways that are at the same time utterly realistic and completely unpredictable. The ball feels like a real thing, and watching it swivel in the air to land at the foot of a player after a long, lofted through pass, or to see it dip and curve and rifle into the back of the net at the end of a powerful shot from outside the box, is never not fun. Together, the ball physics and the reworked animations add extra layers onto PES’ already solid moment-to-moment gameplay. Passing moves feel much more fluid and realistic when they are properly pulled off, while pulling them off requires work too, for you to make sure your players are in a position to receive and release the ball in the right manner, so they also feel rewarding. The play gets slowed down a bit thanks to this, but that actually works in PES 2019’s favour, rather than against it.

Goalkeepers have also been improved quite noticeably. If you read my review of PES 2018 last year, you’d remember that the goalkeepers were one of the things that bugged me in that game the most. Blockbuster shots were a major new addition to last year’s game, aiming to create moments of theatricality and drama, with shots that people in the rafters on a Friday night might call a “banger, mate”. However, the goalkeepers’ complete inability to save shots that went past even within inches of them dampened the impact of the whole thing, and games, as a result often felt too easy. While the ‘keepers haven’t been perfected, their reactions and their abilities to stop shots is significantly improved, to the point where when you curve in a beautiful inch-perfect shot into the top corner of the goal from 30 yards away, it feels suitably rewarding and gratifying.

Some aspects of the on-pitch action, though, are less successful in what they attempt. PES 2019 made a big deal of having actual, meaningful fatigue mechanics prior to its launch, and I’ve really struggled to see that materialize. It’s not like fatigue isn’t a thing- a football simulation game simply wouldn’t be able to work without that, after all. It’s just as much a thing as it has always been. While my players did often get so tired that their performances during the final minutes of a match would suffer greatly, or that they would even on very rare occasions sustain injuries, that was really the extent of it. I had to do some swapping of players before matches during weeks in my schedule that were particularly crowded with fixtures, but that’s something that’s bread and butter to any fooball simulation game. If there is any difference in PES 2019’s fatigue mechanics that goes beyond that, it’s one that was so insignificant, I couldn’t even notice it.

Master League is another area that’s in need of heavy improvements, which have sadly still not been included in PES 2019. There is, to be fair, the addition of the pre-season friendlies tournament called the International Champions Cup, while transfers have also been improved slightly, giving you the ability to add sell-on clauses and the like, but both these changes are minute, and don’t really make much of a difference. The ICC is a pre-season tournament, and I doubt many people will care that it’s been fully licensed, while transfers are, despite the additions, still not very realistic. For my very first transfer, I purchased Toni Kroos for just about £35 million pounds, which is dirt cheap by today’s standards- and that is just one example. Incremental changes on the pitch are perfectly acceptable- they are, in fact, the norm in yearly simulation franchises, and when clubbed together, they actually make a meaningful difference. But the Master League is in need of more than just incremental changes. It has been more or less the exact same experience for a decade now, with a few minor additions made every year, and PES’ refusal to expand and change in this area just seems lazy at this point.

"Together, the ball physics and the reworked animations add extra layers onto PES’ already solid moment-to-moment gameplay."

For years, Pro Evolution Soccer has been in a pattern where it continues to improve its on-pitch action year over year, while remaining frustratingly backward in all other areas. PES 2019 follows that same pattern, and as such, the final verdict on it, in an isolated scenario, would be pretty much the same as its last two or three predecessors. The issue, however, is that every year, tolerance for its lack of improvements grows shorter, where now it’s just gotten to a point where they’ve become a bit too grating to ignore. The loss of the Champions League and the larger UEFA license certainly does PES 2019 no favours either. On the pitch itself, PES 2019 remains exceptionally strong, stronger than the series has ever been, and by extension, stronger than this genre has ever been. But all that panache and flair and flash that many PES fans choose to call stage dressing, which is so painfully missing once again in this year’s game, is quite important to the experience, and its absence is starting to become increasingly glaring with each new instalment. Konami have proven themselves to be absolute masters of delivering excellent on-pitch football- but perhaps with PES 2020 next year, it’ll be time to work on their weaknesses, rather than improving on their strengths.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 4.

Konami has announced the minimum and recommended system requirements for the PC version of Pro Evolution Soccer 2019, this year’s entry in their long running soccer franchise. The good news is, as with last year, this year’s edition will also be the current generation version running on the FOX Engine, the same as is offered on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

As for running the game, the minimum requirements are on the low side, so you should be able to run the game even with a mid range PC if you want, and run it well.

Konami has also announced a playable demo for the game that will feature 12 teams, and launch on August 8. The demo will let players play as Barcelona, Liverpool, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Palmeiras, and the French and Argentinian national teams (and show off the game’s various licenses). You can check out a trailer showing off the demo, as well as the full requirements for the game’s PC version, for yourself below. PES 2019 launches on August 28.

Minimum:

OS: Windows 7 SP1/8.1/10 – 64bit
CPU: Intel Core i5-3470 / AMD FX 4350
RAM: 4 GB
VGA: NVIDIA GTX 670  / AMD Radeon HD 7870
VRAM: 2 GB
DirectX: 11.0
Hard drive space: 30 GB
Resolution: 1280×720

Recommended:

OS: Windows 7 SP1/8.1/10 – 64bit
CPU: Intel Core i7-3770 / AMD FX 8350
RAM: 8 GB
VGA: NVIDIA GTX 760  / AMD Radeon R9 270X
VRAM: 4 GB
DirectX: 11.0
Hard drive space: 30 GB
Resolution: 1920×1080

Development

https://youtu.be/SSfko2Ps9oY

As has been the case for a handful of years now, Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 will be running on Konami’s very own Fox Engine. They are looking to make a number of improvements to the game’s visuals aspect. Notably enough, the game will support HDR, while on the PS4 Pro, Xbox One X, and PC, it will also feature 4K support. In general, barring these potentially exclusive upgrades, though, Konami are still making a number of improvements. Lighting and shadows are going to receive upgrades, which means stadiums, players, jerseys, pitches, and more will look closer to how they actually look in real life.

One of the biggest developments surrounding Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 in the build up to its launch, however, has been related to licensing. For ten years, UEFA and Konami have had a licensing partnership, as part of which all UEFA competitions, including the Champions League and the Europa League, have been exclusively featured in Pro Evolution Soccer titles. However, after Konami decided not to renew that deal and UEFA instead went into a partnership with EA Sports and FIFA, those competitions won’t be featured in this year’s game any longer. Which, obviously, is a real bummer for a lot of people, since there are many who felt that UEFA licenses were one of the biggest (and few) edges PES had over FIFA.

In spite of losing a major, major license, though, Konami are still looking to make up for that. Many might call it a case of quantity over quality- call it what you will, but Konami are still looking to expand the overall number of official licenses in their game. As such, Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 is going to include licenses for many official domestic leagues around the world that were not included in its predecessors. These include- the Scottish Premiership, Portugal’s Premiera Liga, Belgium’s Jupiler Pro League, the Danish Superligaen, the Russian Premier League, Argentina’s Primera Division, and Sweden’s Raiffeisen Super League.

When it comes to specific teams instead of larger leagues, though, PES 2019 is going to bring about some changes in terms of official licensing. For instance, German team Borussia Dortmund is not going to be officially licensed in the game. Konami had a deal with the club until quite recently, so it was initially going to be in the game, which is why see their stadium and their crest being featured in promotional material for the game so much. However, that deal was ended prematurely, which means Borussia Dortmund (or their stadium) won’t be in the game.

Instead, as a replacement, Konami have signed a similar deal with fellow German club FC Schalke 04, who are indeed going to be officially licensed in Pro Evolution Soccer 2019, along with their stadium, Veltins Arena. Konami are going to use full 3D scanning technology to have better likeness for Schalke’s stadium, jerseys, and players in the game as part of this deal.

Gameplay

Konami are going to introduce several tweaks and fine-tuning improvements to Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 to improve the quality of the moment-to-moment on-pitch action in the game. For instance, Magic Moments, a feature that they started building on with earlier instalments, will be more of a focus this year, while Konami are also looking to add more personality to the players in terms of how they play and animate. Their primary way of doing that is going to be through skills. PES 2019 will include a total of 39 skill traits for players, out of which 11 are going to be new additions.

Among the new skill traits, goalkeeper specific skill traits include GK High Punt and GK Penalty Saver, while on the flipside, Penalty Specialist is also going to be a skill trait. Shooting related skill traits will impact rising shots, chip shot control, and dipping shots. Meanwhile, things such as interceptions, no-look passes, and cross over turns are also going to be governed by specific, newly-introduced skill traits. The remaining two new ones are Double Touch, and Step On Skill control.

Movement in general is going to be improved in PES 2019. Konami have, first and foremost, made tweaks to the physics of the ball itself, to make its movement more natural and varied. Things such as the ball’s trajectory, its speed, and its position will all be governed by how it was kicked, and what the posture of the kicker was. Meanwhile, in situations where the ball bounces off of players or other surfaces, animations and outcomes are going to be more realistic. Players themselves are also going to move more fluidly and organically, and improvements have been mode, most of all, to dribbling animations. Part of that is full body touch, a feature that was introduced last year and is going to be built on this year, as part of which how a player interacts with the ball and how he traps an incoming ball is all based on his positioning, the ball’s speed, and other similar aspects.

PES 2019 will also be making changes to the shooting mechanics. Most of this seems to be reliant on a more varied set of possible animations to make things seem more authentic and realistic, such as goalkeepers narrowly missing saves for some shots, players reacting more realistically to missed shots (also based on how close they were), and conversely, players reacting with more excitement to successful shots that get converted. Another addition that has been made to the game is that of quick subs, something that was actually introduced in FIFA last year. Thanks to quick subs, you can now make substitutions during matches while play breaks with just one click of a button, rather than having to pause the action and go into menus.

Visual fatigue is also a major new addition this year. As a result of this new system, when players become fatigued or tired, they will show clearer and more realistic visual indicators of their conditions, which should, logically, affect their performance on the pitch as well. Meanwhile, the myClub mode (which is essentially PES’ variant of Ultimate Team), is also going to receive an overhaul that will involve a new card system and new ways of building your squad, though what exactly these changes will entail isn’t something Konami have divulged yet. We do know, however, that players’ form and performances will likely mirror their current real life form.

Finally, improvements are also being made to Master League, which is PES’ career mode. For starters, the pre-season cup competition known as the International Champions Cup is going to be included in the game, officially, and will be part of the pre-season in Master League as well. Additionally, improvements are also being made to negotiations and transfers to make them more interesting and realistic. For instance, things such as sell-on clauses, a clean sheet bonus option, and deeper budget management have been added to add more nuance to the management side of things.

Note: This wiki will be updated once we have more information about the game.

Konami’s has finally announced Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) 2019 with the first trailer showcasing impressive visuals and football action. Check it out below and keep an eye out for football legend David Beckham. You can’t miss ‘im.

A number of new details have also been released about the game including the fact that it contains “more fully licensed leagues and stadiums” along with more licensed partnerships. New legends will be announced in the coming weeks as well so Beckham might not be the only big deal to look out for.

New skill traits are also being added along with Visible Fatigue that takes a toll on a player’s performance and overall behaviour. You can also look forward to improved ball physics, among other things, having an influence on the new shooting mechanics. If that weren’t enough, 4K support with HDR has also been confirmed across all supporting platforms.

PES 2019 will release on August 28th for North America and August 30th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. What are your thoughts on the trailer? Let us know in the comments below.

Look, anyone who is a fan of football will tell you that PES is simply the better playing game. The reason that it has been unable to gain traction against EA Sports’ FIFA is because of the latter’s bigger marketing budgets, as well as the fact that EA has more official licenses than Konami does, and ends up creating a football ecosystem of sorts that puts FIFA as an indispensable part of the annual football season for all fans of the sport.

With Konami recently having announced the end of its partnership with UEFA (and therefore, the loss of that license too), it seemed like things might be getting worse for PES on that front. However, according to a listing for the game that got put up on the Hong Kong PSN Store prematurely, the game will have a “huge addition of licensed leagues”. Which is hugely interesting- what leagues are Konami talking about? Will they be meaningful additions that help them gain inroads against EA and FIFA?

PES 2019 has not been announced yet, but we can expect it to hit PS4, Xbox One, and PC (at least).