"eFootball 2022," Konami's successor to its long-running "Pro Evolution Soccer" series, heralds a major shakeup in the soccer game world.

Rather than going head-to-head with FIFA 22, the latest version of EA's annual soccer game juggernaut, Konami has decided to make eFootball 2022 a free download-only game. What's more, it will offer true cross-platform play, eventually allowing gamers on almost any device to play against each other.

"eFootball 2022" will replace Konami's "FOX" engine with "Unreal 4" and will also be available for the next generation of PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles, making it possibly the first game to challenge "FIFA" in years.

Here is everything we know so far about eFootball 2022, including release date, trailer, gameplay, and various modes like Creative Team and Master League.

eFootball 2022 will be available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC, iOS, and Android starting September 30, 2021.

As a free-to-play, download-only game, eFootball 2022 will be released in installments, with only certain features and teams available immediately. It can be played locally or online (and against other generations of users of the same console, so PS5 owners can play against users playing on PS4), and one-time games can be played against: Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Juventus, Arsenal, Corinthians, Flamengo, Sao Paulo and River Plate are the nine teams. Six stadiums will also be featured in the first release: Camp Nou, Old Trafford, Allianz Stadium, Emirates Stadium, Allianz Arena, and the famous eFootball Stadium.

Konami has not yet set an exact date for when the other features will be released, but there will be two major updates: one in late fall and the other in winter.

The first update will expand the number of playable teams and add online leagues and creative team modes. You will also be able to play against people from other platforms, so if you have friends who got tired of waiting for the PS5 to restock and bought an Xbox Series X instead, you can still lurk online.

The last major update will launch proper eSports tournaments and add phones and tablets to the list of compatible cross-platform devices.

Konami has released two trailers for eFootball 2022 so far, both over 6 minutes long, so there is plenty to feast your eyes on.

The first trailer (above), released in July, features Andres Iniesta, Gerard Pique, and someone called Lionel Messi, detailing the overall idea behind the game.

This year, Konami switched to the Unreal Engine as the engine powering eFootball 2022. This allows someone on a cell phone to play against someone on a console or PC, despite the huge difference in processing and graphics power. The same goes for Fortnite.

The Unreal Engine also increases the number of available animations, which means more choices regarding each player's body and ball manipulation. This should help in the focal point of an eFootball match: outmaneuvering a defender one-on-one.

Of course, this works in reverse as well, so defenders have more ways to intercept a pass or block a shot if they can successfully anticipate the attacker's actions. More imposing players will be able to take better advantage of their physicality, but they should be careful not to use too much force, as the system for judging fouls has also been revamped.

Konami also added "sharp kicks". Rising shots, faster lofted passes, and snappier crosses are now more specialized maneuvers, but they require more time to execute and require the use of other skills to create the necessary space.

However, these will not be included in the game at launch and will be offered as part of later updates, along with the use of tactile feedback and adaptive triggers on the PS5's dual-sense controllers. An edit mode for the game will also be added at a later date.

Creative Team is one of eFootball 2022's free-to-play modes; like FIFA's Ultimate Team, players will be able to create their own dream squad and earn in-game currency and rewards for completing specific goals. This allows you to collect more star players or add a coach that fits your style of play.

Players fall into one of four categories: standard, trending, featured, and legendary. Non-trending players can develop their characteristics over time and, if done well, can transform a weak Standard team into a world-class powerhouse.

The Creative Team mode will eventually offer five different match types, not all of which will be available immediately. The same goes for match pass rewards and goals.

In addition to the features included in Konami's free-to-play roadmap above, there will also be elements and features released that will require in-game purchases to use.

These have not yet been revealed, but it is expected that Master League will appear as "additional downloadable content" and will require payment to access.

Last year's eFootball PES 2021 had a Lite version that essentially functioned as a demo, but given that the first launch version of eFootball 2022 will include only limited functionality, it seems unlikely that a demo version of the game will appear before that.

Konami has taken an interesting approach with eFootball 2022, focusing on reaching as many people as possible rather than selling lots of copies of the game. The cross-platform play feature should increase its appeal, especially if all your friends don't have the same console as you. The switch to the Unreal Engine also promises much improved animations and more polished gameplay.

Of course, as ever, how well the game does will largely depend on whether or not "FIFA 22" takes the same big steps forward; for more information on FIFA 22, check out the FIFA 22 hub, where you'll find a list of the game's top 10 most popular games and a list of the best games in the world.

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