Konami are set to launch the 20th instalment of their hugely popular Pro Evolution Soccer series in 2020, with gamers itching to find out what eFootball Pro Evolution Soccer 2021 – PES 2021 has in store.
Every year, PES is up against its arch rival FIFA in the clash for football video game supremacy and, having clawed back some ground from EA Sports’ best-selling title, the hope will be to improve on things in 2020.
Goal takes a look at when PES 2021 will be released, what the price will be, which licences it will have and much more.
When is PES 2021 released?
PES 2021 will be released on September 15, 2020 – in keeping with previous launch dates – and it will be available as a downloadable ‘season update’.
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The early September release date is consistent with the apparent policy of launching roughly two weeks before EA Sports’ FIFA series, with FIFA 21 expected to be released at the end of September .
A demo should, in theory, be available to play from July or August if previous launch schedules are followed.
Konami released a trailer for the game on July 16, which can be watched below.
What is the price of PES 2021?
The standard edition of PES 2021 can be pre-ordered at a special price of £24.99 in the United Kingdom or $29.99 in the United States.
Club editions (for Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Manchester United or Arsenal) cost slightly more at £29.99 in the UK and $34.99 in the US.
Those special prices are half the usual price of the new PES games, which tend to fall in the region of £50 in the UK or $60 in the US.
In 2019, the initial sale price of PES 2020 was £47.99 in the UK and $59.99 in the U.S., which made the game slightly cheaper to buy than its FIFA 20 counterpart.
The ‘Legend’ edition of PES 2020, which featured Ronaldinho on the cover, was a bit more expensive at £59.99 in the UK and $79.99 in the U.S.
It is likely that the price of the game will be somewhat more costly when it is eventually released on next generation consoles such as the PS5 and Xbox Series X.
What licences will PES 2021 have?
Konami has recently been increasing its number of licensing agreements and the company has landed several star attractions in the past few seasons, including Juventus, Barcelona and Manchester United.
We know for certain that Barcelona will remain in the game as an official partner, having signed a new four-year deal with Konami in 2019.
Similarly, we can be sure that Juventus will be a key feature of PES 2021 because the Serie A giants agreed ‘a long-term’ exclusive partnership with the company in 2019. The exclusivity means that Juventus are known as ‘Piemonte Calcio’ in FIFA 20 and that will probably continue to be the case in FIFA 21.
Arsenal is another club that will definitely feature as an officially licensed team after agreeing to extend their agreement with Konami for a further three years in 2019.
Konami’s agreements with Milan and Inter will not be applicable in PES 2021, so they will be known as Milano RN and Lombardia NA – the initials being a reference to Rossoneri and Nerazzurri .
You can see a list of the officially licensed teams that have been confirmed for on PES 2021. More will follow.
ClubLeagueCountryBarcelonaLa LigaSpainBayern MunichBundesligaGermanyArsenalPremier LeagueEnglandManchester UnitedPremier LeagueEnglandJuventusSerie AItaly
Which consoles will PES 2021 be out on?
PES 2021 will be released on PS4, Xbox One and PC.
The new game is also expected to be released on the new Sony PS5 and Xbox Series X, but it is not clear if it will be a launch title on the next gen devices.
When can I pre-order PES 2021?
Gamers can pre-order PES 2021 right now, with Konami promoting the 25th anniversary special price from July.
Click below for more information on how to pre-order PES 2021 and avail of the special offers:
- PS4
- Xbox Onel
What new features will PES 2021 have?
We do not know yet what new features will be included in PES 2021, but fans have been making their views heard about what they would like to see.
We’ve taken a look at what fresh additions will be in the game as well as some areas of possible improvement.
Euro 2020 (2021)
Expect to see a bespoke Euro 2020 patch update in PES 2021.
Konami had been working towards releasing such an update in April 2020 for PES 2020, but UEFA’s decision to postpone the tournament means that the big launch on PES 2020 was delayed.
With the tournament now not taking place until June 2021, it makes sense for Konami to include it in their new game, though it may not be available straight away.
The new game is set to hit shelves in September and Euro 2020 play-offs will likely be played in November, so a European Championship patch could be available before then.
Master League improvements
The Master League is the PES equivalent to Career Mode on FIFA and, while the overall experience of the mode is generally satisfying for many, there are small tweaks that could be made.
Small changes to the user experience side of things, as well as issues such as managing transfers, friendly matches and rate of player improvement have all been highlighted by gamers online.
Better graphics & gameplay
With the prospect of PES 2021 on PS5 and Xbox Series X, PES fans can rightly expect to see an improvement in the game’s graphics and gamplay on a higher spec game engine.
A common request among gamers is the expansion of dynamic weather, lighting and match experience.
So, for example, the rhythm of a game can change if it suddenly blows a gale or the heavens unleash a deluge, while certain players are subjected to more scrutiny by supporters for various reasons.
Who will be on the cover of PES 2021?
Lionel Messi was on the cover of the standard edition of PES 2020 and there is a strong possibility that the Barcelona captain will remain the face of the game worldwide.
The Argentine is prominent in the launch trailer and the promotional imagery on the official website, suggesting that he will be the PES 2021 cover star.
Indeed, Barca also adorned the front cover of the Legend edition of the previous game, with Ronaldinho appearing in the colours of the Catalan club as the star attraction.
However, there will undoubtedly be some pressure from Juventus to get their main man Cristiano Ronaldo on the cover, particularly considering the exclusive nature of their agreement.
It is also possible that Konami will split cover image honours between a selection of their official partners’ stars.
For PES 2020, Messi was joined on some versions with Manchester United’s Scott McTominay, Juve’s Miralem Pjanic and Bayern Munich’s Serge Gnabry.
Konami do offer club specific editions of the game which solely feature cover stars from some of their partner clubs.
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