Konami Releasing Pro Evo 2020 DLC Based on Canceled Soccer Tournament
Like almost every other sport on the planet, football (or soccer) has had a torrid time dealing with the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. Leagues have been suspended or outright canceled and major international tournaments like the 2020 UEFA European Football Championship have been rescheduled for next year. That won’t stop Konami from celebrating the event this year, as the publisher will release its official adaptation of the tournament via free DLC for Pro Evolution Soccer 2020.
On June 4, players will be able to create their own Euro 2020 by selecting from 55 licensed national teams to play at Wembley in London and St. Petersburg’s Krestovsky Stadium. The official tournament ball will also be available. The content will be included in the seventh data pack update for PES 2020 and the first since April.
The Pro Evo series has always played second fiddle to EA’s FIFA juggernaut. Over the years, PES has typically been more enjoyable to play, but unable to match the presentation and sponsorships that FIFA delivers. Konami has been making headway in this area, though, with PES 2020 featuring full licenses for popular European teams like Manchester United, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich. It even managed to snag the exclusive license for Juventus, meaning EA had to change the team’s name for FIFA 20.
UEFA Euro 2020 was scheduled to begin on June 12, but the coronavirus health crisis meant that the tournament had to be postponed and is now expected to kick off June 11 next year. Rather than let the opportunity slip, Konami has decided to take advantage of government stay-at-home orders, which has been something of a boon to the video game industry. Sales have been hitting record numbers during the quarantine period and more people are being forced to turn to eSports for a competitive fix.
Strange as this is, the concept has been growing in popularity. ESPN has resorted to showing real athletes playing as their digital counterparts in order to have something to air on the network. Online tournaments, complete with their own gambling market, have blossomed and pro gamers are quickly becoming even bigger celebrities thanks to their prowess with a controller.
The response to Konami’s Euro 2020 DLC release has been mixed. Most seem to think it’s funny but are excited about the new content anyway. If anything, it will give players time away from complaining about scripted difficulty or arguing about how myClub is better or worse than FIFA Ultimate Team.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2020 is available now on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The UEFA Euro 2020 DLC releases on June 4.
Source: Kotaku
Post a Comment