eFootball 2022 will deliver a feature-rich first season to Konami’s free-to-play sports platform

Konami announced today that its new free-to-play sports platform eFootball 2022 will receive its first season of content on September 30 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC. The update will also mark the launch of the platform on iOS and Android.

At launch, eFootball 2022 will feature the ability to play against nine different real-world teams either offline or online. The teams featured are FC Barcelona, FC Bayern München, Juventus, Manchester United, Arsenal FC, SC Corinthians Paulista, CR Flamengo, CA River Plate, and São Paulo FC. Players can also choose between six different stadiums. The online play will be cross-generational, meaning PS4 and PS5 players can play together, as can the two latest Xbox generations.

The company also detailed plans for an Autumn content update, which includes what it calls Creative Teams. This mode allows players to create teams by signing players based on their preferred playstyle and train them up to be able to compete with the best teams in the world. There’s also a wealth of customization options drawn from over 600 different teams worldwide. The new Creative League allows for competition between Creative Teams, pitting them against each other in competition for rewards across ten games.

Other match modes include Tour Events, where players can play against AI-controlled teams for rewards, Challenge Events, which pit players against each other to complete objectives, and individual matches via matchmaking or against specific players in 1v1 matches.

The monetization in eFootball uses three different types of in-game currency, one of which is premium while the other two are earned through playing. Users will use these currencies to sign players to their teams based on different tiers of players. Completing certain in-game objectives will award items that can be used to sign more players.

Development on mobile devices is focused on delivering the same experience across all platforms, unifying the platform and delivering a console-level experience on mobile. To that end, eFootball PES 2021 players will update to eFootball 2022 this Autumn and get to bring some items to the new platform, with more details on what will carry over on the official website.

Future updates include the ability to completely customize teams, gameplay additions like advanced ball trapping and special kicks, mobile controller support, and full cross-platform matchmaking. The PS5 version will also be getting haptic feedback and adaptive trigger support.

Publisher Konami shared a road map for the game earlier this year. And previously said that the game should be thought of as a demo, with premium features to be added later.

The eFootball 2022 update on September 30, as well as further updates in the near future, will all be free across all platforms.