Messy PES Successor eFootball Finally Updated on PS5, PS4 This Month

Manchester United still promotes Konami’s soccer simulation travesty eFootball at Old Trafford, which perhaps says a lot about the state of the formerly great club. Unlike the north-western Premier League team, however, eFootball is at least about to get a bit better. The aforementioned Japanese publisher has announced that v1.00 will release on the PlayStation 5 and PS4 later this month, 14th April, and will bring with it some pretty big gameplay improvements.

“The development team has been hard at work since to regain the trust of our esteemed fans, as well as to make the game even more enjoyable for soccer fans around the world,” a statement explains. “As part of our commitment to improving the game, we have added new commands and numerous elements – both offensive and defensive – that are prevalent in the modern game of soccer. We have also readjusted the balance of the game and fixed bugs to ensure an enjoyable gaming experience.”

While it would be easy to roast Konami here, the updates are extensive – to the degree where the publisher is describing it as a New Soccer Game in its press release. Just some of the headline alterations include a rewrite to defensive gameplay, including the addition of a shoulder charge command and the reintroduction of pressing. The pace of passing has also been significantly increased, while a new command for Hollywood-style passes has been incorporated.

The company’s also made significant improvements to shooting, dribbling, and online connectivity. You’ll now be able to save your custom tactics and formations, which was an obvious feature conspicuously absent from the launch build. “This is just the tip of the iceberg, as we have implemented many other gameplay-related features and fixes,” the statement continues. “Please stay tuned, as we will be going through this ‘New Soccer Game’ in detail when the update goes live!”

In terms of new features and game modes, Konami’s finally adding its Ultimate Team-esque mode, named Dream Team. “In this mode, you will be able to choose your favourite players and managers when signing them,” the press release teases. “You can then develop your players to fit your personal playstyle, which means you have almost infinite freedom to shape the team to your liking. Build your ‘one and only Dream Team’ with your favorite players as well as players you have developed.”

There’s no word on when fan favourite single player features like Master League will be available, but to be fair it seems like Konami’s focus here has been on fixing the core gameplay. You can read the full statement on the game’s official website for more information on what’s changed, but is this enough to get you back on board? Let us know in the comments section below.