eFootball

eFootball is a football simulation game developed and published by Konami. Released in September 2021, it marks a significant shift in the Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) series. Konami rebranded the franchise to eFootball and transitioned to a free-to-play model and a new engine, Unreal Engine.

Players will be able to control the strength of kicking the ball as well as determining dribbling speed; from a knock-on all the way to a full dash, just as in real football. In addition, on PlayStation5, eFootball will make use of the controller’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers to feel the difference of player movements. With greater freedom to control how the player will trap the ball, each play becomes a mind game. A wide array of dribbles and body feints are also available with intuitive commands. In combination, these ensure that every single duel offers an exciting moment for both attacker and defender.

Players can block their opponent's shot by throwing their body or by reading the kick and cutting the pass. Naturally, stealing the ball close to the opponent’s goal creates an excellent scoring opportunity. eFootball recreates the "physical defence", which is so important in real-life football, with a charging command when defending. In addition, the offensive team can also use their bodies to keep the ball in play, making both offensive and defensive play more dynamic.

An option to charge a “sharp kick”, complete with new animations, will make the game even more technical and exciting. Players will be able to perform special kicks, such as sharp crosses, fast lofted passes and rising shots. These new actions take more time to execute, so players will need to choose the right opportunities during a match.

The eFootball development team has analyzed real-life football tactics to create a new set of "1vs1" win/lose rules. With Motion Matching technology, the game evaluates the ball, movement speed, body direction, physical ability and more in real-time to affect the movement of every player. These win/lose rules work in tandem with player movement to make the game more convincing, including foul decisions, which have been reworked.

Team playstyles are a vital part of football, so the AI controlling the off-the-ball players has been revamped. Combining this with the new attacking and defending controls, players will have much greater freedom to play the way they want. The new “Duel” camera zooms in when the player is in a 1vs1 situation, allowing the player to enjoy the 1vs1 scene from a closer distance. When the player is in a free situation, the field of view expands, allowing the player to send a long pass at the right moment. The new Motion Matching animation system creates much more natural and fluid player movements. In addition, ball movement has seen further enhancements due to a partnership with a research institute. Finally, the action never stops during a match, due to the Seamless Restart system.