Konami kept fans waiting for four and a half years after switching from PES to eFootball. Now the popular Master League is set to make a comeback—albeit in a modernized form.
Even the presenter was surprised by what the new edition of Konami’s video format eFootball Connect was going to be about: “When I heard about the episode, I was surprised to see Master League among the topics.”
An understandable reaction:
The mode disappeared with the switch from PES to eFootball in fall 2021 – and despite several promises, it has not returned since. This caused ongoing frustration for many fans. Now, after four and a half years of waiting, the Master League, as the mode was called in the German version, is about to make a comeback.
It is set to be added to the soccer simulation in April in the form of an in-game event.
Online link to Dream Team
However, anyone hoping for the return of the classic offline experience from the PES era may be disappointed. At least for the time being, the Master League will not return as the traditional counterpart to the career mode in EA SPORTS FC. The game mode will also not be paid DLC, but free of charge. Instead, Konami is combining Master League with Dream Team, the counterpart to FUT. The aim is to combine long-term team building with modern online structures.
Dream Team is “the heart of the current eFootball gameplay,” according to General Director Seitaro Kimura. And certainly also the heart of the monetization strategy. After all, microtransactions and real-money betting prevail there. Overall, eFootball remains a free-to-play title.
Minanda, Castolo, and Ximelez are coming back
It is difficult to estimate the extent to which the new, event-based Master League will be playable. The focus will be on dynamic developments: talent progress, injuries, and fatigue due to overexertion.
Kimura and fellow producer Junichi Taya also had a few screenshots with them that could trigger feelings of nostalgia.
Among others, Minanda, Castolo, and Ximelez—two legendary fictional pros from the heyday of the Master League—can be seen. Other iconic names such as Ivarov and Ordaz could also return to eFootball with the new edition.