FIFA

eFootball PES 2020 announces esports format and $2 million prize pool

08/21/2019

The addition of “eFootball” to the upcoming PES 2020 title by Konami has not been implemented by mistake. The official Konami website has assured the fans of their commitment towards the esports scene through a roadmap update.

The format and competitions

Oh… and the tournaments will have a shared prize pool of $2 MILLION!! 👀💰 #eFootball #PlayingIsBelieving

— eFootball (@play_eFootball) August 21, 2019

The upcoming eFootball competitions are going to be split into two separate competitions. The first is a league open to all eFootball PES players, named eFootball.Open. This competition will pit individuals against opponents in 1v1 matchups. Players will be sorted into “classes according to their level,” meaning that there will be some skill divisions. Online qualifiers will be the first step to entering “Regional and World Finals” where the best of the best players will be able to win prize money out of a $2 million prize pool. This will be the most common type of competition open to players for sure.

The other type of competition will be on the more professional side. Named eFootball.Pro, 3v3 co-op matches will take place between professional real-world teams. It is mentioned that the teams wishing to participate will be responsible for choosing their representing players. However, it is certain that the majority of players will be selected from the last Regional and World Finals of PES LEAGUE, something that has been replaced with eFootball.Open.

Konami has released a roadmap for the two major competitions to be part of eFootball PES 2020.

Konami’s roadmap for the eFootball competitions found in *PES 2020*.

Apart from the two competitive modes, eFootball will feature additional smaller competitions found at the bottom of the roadmap. These will feature cooperation with other football associations such as eJLEAGUE or TOYOTA E-LEAGUE. In addition, UEFA eEURO 2020 will be another major competition to be held in a virtual PES environment, something that FIFA has replicated in the past. What’s more, it looks like smaller, more local eFootball tournaments will also get a cut of the eFootball prize pool. How this will look like in practice, we need to wait and see.

eFootball PES 2020 is shaping up to be a serious contender against FIFA this year. With more and more licenses coming through such as the Juventus exclusive deal or Serie A license, the upcoming football game is looking solid. With a few days left until Sept. 10 release, who knows if Konami won’t unveil more surprises for the fans?