It is impossible not to remember the chaotic launch of eFootball last September, prompting Konami to issue a public apology and promising to correct all errors as soon as possible. After several months of intensive work, the Japanese publisher seems ready to come back with a complete and final version, sporting the 1.0.0 update and completely revised and corrected. It is also on April 14, in a week, that this new version will be deployed with the help of a community that will have continued to send its feedback to the development team. In a new message posted on the official site, Konami thanks all the people who participated in this collective effort and guarantee a finally pleasant experience, without shameful bugs either. However, the developers point out that more features will still be added through future updates. In the meantime, a first list of changes has been compiled. Here is what changes:
Improvements and new features of eFootball v1.0.0
Changes to commands in defense and addition of "Request pressing"
After revising the priority order of defense-related actions, we decided to change the default key settings to make defense more intuitive. Pressing controls available in earlier versions will also be brought back into the game.
Additionally, we've added a new command, "Shoulder Contact", which allows you to more proactively regain possession.
Pressing: Gain possession by putting pressure on the opposing ball carrier.
Contain: put pressure on the opposing dribbler with a less open posture and shorter strides. Also effective at blocking passes or shots.
Shoulder contact: Push the opposing player with the shoulder to recover the ball. Particularly effective when the opponent has taken the ball away from his foot or is trying to make a drop shot.
Apart from individualized defense, we have also reassessed the elements of team defense. The "Request Press" command has also been added to the game. In addition to sending multiple players on the ball, other teammates will work cooperatively to regain possession by blocking pass trajectories and advancing the defensive line. .
Along with these functional additions and changes, we've also made a bunch of changes to other defense-critical in-game elements to give you a more responsive and intuitive experience when it's time to defend.
Passing improvements and new "Power Pass" command
In addition to the defense, we also received a lot of passing feedback. Many of you have commented on the slow passing and the high number of passing errors. That's why we've made improvements that focus on game balance and order satisfaction.
In general, we've increased passing speed, to match the pace of matches to the defensive improvements described above. In addition, we have also integrated a mechanism that uses the rebound of the ball as an acceleration force. This will come in very handy in one-touch passing, for example, as the ball's speed will increase thanks to this mechanism. We thus obtain a "rhythmic passing game", an essential element of modern football.
With respect to passing errors, we concluded that they were caused by the actions of the passer and receiver during and after playing the pass. We have therefore integrated the following fixes:
- Pass target decision improvements
- Improvements to AI decision making when receiving passes
- Movement improvements when receiving passes
Following these corrections, the reproduction of abnormal passing errors has been greatly reduced.
In order to make the passing game more enjoyable, we have also added a new tool, the "Power Pass" command, which allows you to hit the ball in various special trajectories. With these controls, you can set the pace of attack and slip in more assists.
More shot trajectories for greater satisfaction
Regarding shots, we made the following two improvements:
- Improved shooting speed by prioritizing realism and satisfaction
- Adjusted shots on target rate to reflect match situations appropriately
In addition, we have added a variety of shots and trajectories to the game for each situation, such as the "Power shot". All this should allow you to experience a lot of realistic situations in front of the goal.
Strategic evolution through improved dribbling features
In order to improve dribbling maneuverability and give you a more rewarding experience when dueling with realistic actions, we have made the following changes:
- Improved balloon tracking accuracy and response to left analog stick input actions
- Improved response to Sprint actions entered
Other functional improvements have also been made, including improved responsiveness and ball behavior with the new "Sudden Change" command, as well as easier to grasp fake actions. We hope these improvements help create a more enjoyable experience in dueling situations against opposing defenders.
Improved online connectivity
In order to improve online connection stability, but also to reduce the number of canceled matches, we have decided to adopt a client-server system from this new opus.
In the same vein, we are constantly looking to improve the response time of online matches.
In order to ensure you have the best football experience, we will continue to monitor the situation after the update and make necessary improvements.
Additional Features for Game Plan
In order to restore some popular features, we've incorporated the following changes and additional features into the game plan, while fixing some issues:
- Added additional features like "Formation Change", "Individual Instructions", "Auto Settings", "Secondary Tactics", "Data Management", etc.
- Improved loading handling for better responsiveness
This is just the tip of the iceberg, as we've incorporated many more gameplay-related features and fixes. Stay tuned as we will further develop this "New Soccer Game" with the release of the next update!
Team Building with "Dream Team"
Originally introduced as 'Creative Team', this game mode that allows you to create your own team will now be added to the game with the next update and is now called 'Dream Team'. But that's not the only change as we've decided to rework a lot of our original ideas to allow you to create your own dream team.
"Dream Team" is more than just creating a team of the best players and managers.
In this mode, you will be able to choose your favorite players and managers when recruiting them. You can then develop your players according to your own style of play. This gives you almost total freedom when building your team according to your preferences.
Build your unique "Dream Team" with your favorite players and the players you've developed, and bring your own style of play to life. You can then compete against the "Dream Teams" of other fans around the world and the myriad of football approaches and styles of play they have to offer.
