Konami has issued a public apology for the issues eFootball 2022 players have faced at launch, pledging to deliver an update for this month.
The next entry in the series formerly known as Pro Evolution Soccer came out this week and quickly became one of the worst-reviewed Steam games of all time. On top of issues with the way the game plays, players have flooded social media with bizarrely humorous images of game glitches as well as some rather unflattering in-game models of well-known players such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Important info for #eFootball fans pic.twitter.com/Tp9RFhmXp9October 1, 2021
The update acknowledges the issues with "pass speed and defense operation," the way both players and the ball move, and problems with cut-scenes and facial expressions.
"We are very sorry for the problems, and want to assure everyone we will take all concerns seriously and strive to improve the current situation," the message continues. "This work will be continuously updated, quality will be improved and content will be added consistently. From next week onward, we will prepare for an update in October, while receiving further opinions through questionnaires to our users."
Along with changing the series' title, eFootball 2022 also marks a transition toward a free-to-play business model. This means there's no upfront cost for dissatisfied players to refund, so at least Konami doesn't have to worry about a Cyberpunk 2077 situation for the time being. Still, first impressions are important, and the newly-reworked sports franchise now has an uphill battle to make up for this one.
Meanwhile, our FIFA 22 review will let you know how the other side of the virtual pitch is looking.
