PES successor eFootball has been downloaded an incredible number of times, suggesting Konami isn’t perhaps as out of the game as some thought
Konami’s eFootball, the free-to-play successor to its long-running Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) franchise, has reached a significant milestone by surpassing 1 billion downloads worldwide. The achievement comes despite a challenging launch period in late 2021, when the live service football game faced considerable criticism and struggled to gain initial traction with players accustomed to the traditional PES experience.
eFootball represented a major strategic shift for Konami, transitioning from a paid model to a free-to-play platform with live service mechanics. While the early reception was mixed, the accumulation of over 1 billion downloads demonstrates that the platform has successfully attracted a substantial global audience over the past several years.
To celebrate this landmark achievement, Konami is hosting special in-game events to commemorate the milestone. One notable celebration includes the return of “Master League Sprint,” a limited-time game mode that brings back classic Pro Evolution Soccer players. This callback to the franchise’s legacy appears designed to engage both longtime fans and new players familiar with PES’s storied history.
The milestone suggests that despite initial concerns about Konami’s ability to compete in the competitive football gaming space—particularly against EA Sports’ FIFA/EA Sports FC franchise—the company has successfully established eFootball as a viable long-term project. The billion-download figure indicates substantial player engagement and suggests that Konami’s pivot to a free-to-play model has proven commercially viable while maintaining a competitive presence in the football gaming market.