eFootball

On October 20, eFootball was No. 1 on Japan's App Store top-grossing games chart. On the same day, it ranked No. 12 in Korea and No. 54 in the US[1]. It has been five years since the popular soccer game PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER was renamed eFootball, which first launched on Steam in 2021[2][3]. The v6.1.0 update, released on October 8, added a new player-versus-player event[4][6]. This article is as of October 20, 2026.

Pick your team before kick-off

In eFootball, choosing a team comes before kicking a ball. You start by picking a club or national team you like from Europe, the Americas or Asia. You can recruit current superstars and legends from soccer history to build your own team[3]. You can play against AI or compete with other people online. The eFootball League lets you work your way up through ten divisions, while friend matches and co-op matches for up to 3v3 are also available[3].

After your first download, step-by-step tutorials teach you the controls by having you play with the ball. Complete them all and you receive Lionel Messi[3]. Smart Assist helps you move between dribbling, passing and shooting without complicated inputs, so even someone returning after a long break from soccer games can see their first match through[3].

You develop players by fielding them in matches or using items. You can allocate their stats yourself or leave it to automatic selection. Weekly Live Updates reflect real transfers and match performances in the game's players[3]. With real matches watched over the weekend affecting your players' abilities the following week, the game can be easier to get drawn into if you follow soccer.

What changed in v6.1.0

The main addition in October's v6.1.0 update is the player-versus-player event Showdown. It uses a single-elimination tournament format: lose and you are out, while each win brings greater rewards. The first tournament was scheduled for October 16[4].

Player development items have also changed. Advanced skill tokens have been removed, and the new Selection Skill Token lets you learn one skill of your choice after collecting 100 tokens. The Selection Position Token, which grants proficiency in a position of your choice, was added with the same system[4]. Match presentation now includes Referee View, showing the referee's perspective, and Player View, showing a player's perspective before set pieces[4].

Play for free, open loot boxes with coins

eFootball is free to download and play[2][3]. Spending takes place through in-game purchases. The Korean Google Play page carries labels for 'In-game purchases (includes randomized items)' and 'Contains ads', with in-app products priced from 240 KRW to 150,000 KRW per item[3]. This is the price range for individual products, not a cap on total spending.

The game includes loot box content that uses eFootball Coins. According to the game description, this content is unavailable to users in Belgium and users under 18 in Brazil. Parental consent is required for users under 12 in Germany, under 15 in Denmark and under 16 in the US[3]. Korea is not on this list, and the Google Play age rating is for all ages[3].

The published materials do not set out the odds for individual products or the range of players available for free. This review does not assess whether you can build the team you want without paying.

One game, divided opinions

Platform support is broad. The official update notice lists PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox on PC, Steam, iOS and Android as receiving the same update[4]. The Steam version supports Korean audio and subtitles[2]. On mobile, you need around 3.1GB of free space, and you can only play while connected to the internet[3].

Player reception differs by platform. As of October 20, about 52% of 119,765 Steam user reviews recommend the game, giving it a 'Mixed' summary rating. Among the 1,237 reviews written in Korean, about 46% recommend it[5]. Its mobile chart positions and PC reviews point in different directions.

Who is it for?

If you follow real soccer and want to play a few matches each week with a club you like, eFootball is an accessible place to start without paying. You can also enjoy co-op matches on the same team as your friends. If you want to avoid purchases containing randomized items altogether, a soccer game you buy once is a better fit.

If you try it, it is worth playing without spending until you finish the tutorials and complete a few eFootball League matches. Watching how the weekly Live Updates change your players' abilities during that time should help you decide whether to spend more time with the game.

Sources

[1] Apple. 일본 App Store 게임 매출 순위. Includes the Korean and US charts in the same format. Accessed October 20, 2026.

[2] Valve. eFootball 스팀 상점 페이지. Release date, free-to-play status and supported languages. Accessed October 20, 2026.

[3] Google. eFootball™ Google Play 페이지(한국). Game description, age rating, randomized item and advertising labels, and in-app product prices. Accessed October 20, 2026.

[4] KONAMI. eFootball v6.1.0 버전 정보. New event, player development and presentation updates, and supported platforms. Accessed October 20, 2026.

[5] Valve. eFootball 스팀 사용자 평가 요약. All languages and Korean. Accessed October 20, 2026.

[6] KONAMI. Information Regarding the eFootball™ v6.1.0 Update. Release date notice, October 6, 2026.