Football games are all about the licenses and even though Konami have a host of long-term partnerships already in place, that’s not going to mean they are ready to sit back and be content. Nope, they want more, and with a new exclusive agreement with AS Roma, that’s exactly what they’ve got.
We’ve known for some time that PES 2021 won’t arrive in the usual fashion, with Konami instead delivering this year’s option as a Season Update to eFootball PES 2020. That’s not necessarily a bad thing either, because that game was pretty damn good from the off.
But when that Season Update does arrive on Xbox One, PS4 and PC via Steam on September 15th, AS Roma and their home of the Stadio Olimpico will be included, with the stadium having been passionately recreated in-game by KONAMI’s talented artists and designers. Authenticity is central to the franchise and so the company strives to deliver an experience that will make “I Giallorossi” (“The Yellow and Reds”) proud.
The AS Roma team name, crest and official kits will all be fully exclusive to the eFootball PES series going forward, making the eFootball PES 2021 Season Update the only console football video game to feature the Italian heavyweights when it launches. And yep, that does mean FIFA 21 won’t have them.
Jonas Lygaard, Senior Director Brand & Business Development at Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. commented: “We have a long history of championing Italian football through the eFootball PES series and we’re proud and humbled that AS Roma is the latest to join that legacy. This year’s PES 2021 will be the only console video game with a truly authentic recreation of the club, but it’s also just the start of what will be a long and fruitful partnership.”
As you would expect from such a deal, KONAMI and AS Roma intend to take full advantage of their new partnership, promoting Roman football to a global audience through a variety of initiatives, including future involvement in esports projects.
“We are delighted to welcome KONAMI, world-leading company in the design and development of video games and eSports, to our family”, says Giorgio Brambilla, Commercial Director at AS Roma. “Thanks to this agreement we will be able to implement the volume of interactive experiences and the involvement of the new innovations of the Giallorossi fans all over the world. We are already working hard with the new partner to set the activities for the coming months and to support the launch of PES 2021 with various activations. In the Club, we are sure that KONAMI will be the perfect strategic partner for the development of the activities that will involve the AS Roma eSports team, which is increasingly aimed at the public who loves football videogames”.
AS Roma, founded in 1927, has consistently performed at the highest standards of Italian football and is one of the most popular clubs in the region. The club has won Serie A three times, the Coppa Italia nine times and the Supercoppa Italiana twice.
If you’re interested in checking out PES 2021 in September, as the game takes all the critically acclaimed features and gameplay from eFootball PES 2020, then you’ve got a couple of options – the Standard Edition of the game, or one of five Club Editions.
Let us know which you decide to pick up and keep an eye out for our full review of PES 2021 on Xbox One in the weeks ahead. And don’t forget, they’ve got Messi and Ronaldo on the front cover too.
