Konami's decision to rebrand its Pro Evolution Soccer franchise into the new free-to-play eFootball series has been controversial from the start. However, things have escalated significantly since the launch of the base version of eFootball 2022. The football game has a significant number of issues regarding gameplay issues, as well a number of very visible graphic errors that transform players into frightening caricatures. The frustration with eFootball 2022 has reached a point where Konami felt it necessary to issue an apology.
In a statement issued Friday morning, Konami says outright, "We are very sorry for the problems." The statement begins by acknowledging the negative feedback that has been shared online. To start, Konami points to feedback specifically about eFootball 2022's gameplay. While it doesn't refer to specific examples of issues, the general topics of negative feedback apparently pertain to pass speed and defense operation. Konami does acknowledge that there are other game balance issues to address, as well.
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While game balance is the first topic that Konami acknowledges needs work, it also acknowledges the more viral issues that have been shared online. Konami says that there have been reports of problems tied to in-game cutscenes, character facial expressions, the movements of player characters, as well as the behavior of the football itself. Its statement broadly covers many of the most egregious gifs and videos being shared online.
It may not be what eFootball players want to hear, but Konami has no answers for these issues yet. The company commits to frequent updates that are released both "continually" and "consistently." These updates will not only address quality issues, but will also continue rolling out content as per eFootball 2022's roadmap. The only tangible efforts that Konami dedicates itself to, however, is an update in October and the issuance of questionnaires in order to gather more feedback.
The final portion of the statement is unlikely to assuage many eFootball 2022 players' frustrations. Konami says that it will do its "utmost to satisfy as many users as possible," while encouraging the continued support of eFootball 2022. The game is, of course, free to download and play across PC, consoles, and mobile devices.
Clearly, the impression given is that Konami could have launched eFootball 2022 too early, perhaps to get ahead of the release of FIFA 22's release today. The game still needs work, but Konami has also dedicated itself to an aggressive roadmap for content rollout, including the game's most lucrative, microtransaction-rich game modes and features. It's difficult to imagine Konami being able to correct eFootball 2022's many issues while still rolling out content, and today's message is perhaps representative of that. Regardless, that's the challenge Konami faces.
eFootball 2022 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and mobile devices.
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