eFootball 2022 is out NOW and free on PlayStation, Xbox and PC

At one point in time, there was only one football game in town: Pro Evolution Soccer (PES). This game dominated our PlayStations and our childhoods with its high point arguably being 2005's Pro Evolution Soccer 5. Those days are long over, in what seemed impossible at one point gradually became inevitable thanks to the corporate might of EA.

This came after EA bought its way through licensing and captured the imagination (and ultimately player's wallets) through Ultimate Team, and ultimately resigning PES to a quasi-mythical status.

Of course, PES never really went away, but instead just became less relevant. This year, Konami finally put the game (or at least the name) to bed after it renamed PES as eFootball. More surprisingly, however, is that it is going to be entirely free-to-play.

The game is appropriating the "game-as-service" model approach seen in Fortnite and Apex Legends. Players will also get regular updates, starting with the free Autumn update that will introduce an Ultimate Team-like mode.

The launch version of the game offers nine teams, including FC Barcelona, FC Bayern München, Juventus, Manchester United and Arsenal FC, but don't expect the vast array of licensed teams and leagues seen in FIFA nor the huge amount of game modes it offers; this is a title that is set to grow in time, starting with the free Autumn update

The Autumn major update will add core features to eFootball™ 2022, including:

• Creative Teams – create your own “dream team” by signing footballers and coaches that match your favourite formations and tactics, then train and strengthen them to play against players from around the world
• New Player Types – there will be four new types of players added to the game: Standard, Trending, Featured and Legendary
• Contracts – users will be able to sign players via one of two contract types: Chance Deals and Nominating Contracts
• New Match Modes – users will have access to the eFootball™ Creative League, Tour Event, Challenge Event, Online Quick Match and Online Match Lobby modes

The game is now available to download worldwide and is available on the  PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10 and Steam.

Downloading it is easy, simply follow the instructions here for your chosen platform.

• Read more: All controls and best settings for FIFA 22

And that's it! For more on all things related to FIFA 22, check out our dedicated section for guides, news, esports results, SBC solutions, and more.

Featured image courtesy of Konami.