Konami rebrands PES as eFootball PES
New name for long-running sports series designed to underline the company's commitment to esports
The Pro Evolution Soccer has been rebranded as Konami ramps up its efforts in the world of professional competitive gaming.
Announced during E3, this year's entry in the series will be called eFootball PES 2020. It will be released for PS4, Xbox One and PC on September 10 in the Americas and Europe, arriving two days later in Asia.
The press release says PES 2020 will "revolutionise eFootball and introduce the sport to a global audience" -- although interestingly none of the new modes and features mentioned appear to be specific to esports or multiplayer.
Nevertheless, Konami's senior director brand and business development attributed the rebrand to the publisher's increased investment into esports.
"Today's announcement of eFootball PES 2020 and our new positioning recognises this company's commitment to the emerging sport of eFootball and progress we've made in that direction with previous PES titles," he said.
"With Konami's continued investment in the PES League and eFootball.Pro tournaments, plus our dedication to continually raising the bar for football simulation games, we've never been more excited for the future of the eFootball PES series."
Despite it's diminished output in the traditional games space, Konami is in particularly rude health at the moment. Last month it reported its fifth consecutive year of profit growth, thanks to a combination of mobile games, esports competitions and the success of PES.
It is currently constructing a new headquarters in Tokyo's downtown Ginza district that will feature an esports arena and host esports classes to help grow interest and find new talent.