The former duel with EA SPORTS and FIFA for supremacy in virtual soccer is long gone. Instead, eFootball and Konami are fighting to connect with their own community.
The restructuring to a free-to-play title, the massive teething problems of the new model, the abandonment of professional European eSports: Konami’s virtual soccer has undergone a major transformation in recent years – for the worse, in the opinion of many fans. A huge patch is intended to bring PES successor eFootball back into harmony with the community.
The update to version 4.4.0 includes changes to almost every aspect of the game. Modes, the database, and, above all, gameplay have undergone numerous adjustments – from attack and defense to AI. Konami lists more than 80 points in the patch notes. At least in this respect, eFootball is on par with EA SPORTS’ FC games and their updates.
Konami relies on fan feedback
The publisher didn’t just communicate the new content and fixes in bullet points on its own website. Konami released an 18-minute video, which is available in various versions with different subtitles. Two developers, a brand ambassador, and the presenter guide viewers through the topics.
It is particularly important to them to emphasize right from the start that the major update is largely based on fan feedback collected in surveys and on social media. “For the 30th anniversary of the series, we want to communicate even more deeply with users,” explains General Producer Junichi Taya.
New mode, improved AI
Among other things, the new “eFootball League” mode, which focuses on matches against the CPU, is intended to reconnect the game with its fan base. In line with this, the AI has been improved, primarily in terms of defensive behavior and game balance.
Data updates provide new team lineups in the Brazilian first and second divisions as well as the US and Canadian USL Championship. An antenna symbol will now visualize the connection quality in some modes.
Player photos, graphics, data, jerseys, balls, shoes, and comments have been revised to reflect the progress of the season. Offside decisions should be easier to understand in the future thanks to an optimized line display. The complete patch notes for all changes and gameplay fixes can be found on the eFootball homepage.
