Remember when Konami promised Master League would eventually make its glorious return to eFootball? That was back when the free-to-play PES replacement first launched - almost five years ago. Well, it's back now, and in classic Konami fashion, they somehow found a way to make it worse than just not having it at all.
According to Push Square, the legendary career mode has returned not as a full, permanent feature - but as a week-long event, available only until April 16th. You know, like a limited-time skin drop in a battle royale, except instead of a cool outfit it's the soul of the entire game.
Fans are not exactly popping off
The reception from the community has been about as warm as a ragequit lobby. Players who have been patiently grinding through eFootball's live-service limbo for half a decade were expecting something meaningful - and instead they got a timed event that treats one of football gaming's most beloved modes like a seasonal Halloween quest.
"This is a big disappointment" is the general vibe echoing across the fanbase, which honestly feels like the most restrained possible reaction when your most-wanted feature shows up dressed as a limited-time event with an expiration date.
The slow-motion fumble of a legacy mode
Master League used to be the crown jewel of the PES franchise - a deep, rewarding career experience that had players managing clubs, developing youth players, and living out their football fantasies for hundreds of hours. Turning that into a time-gated event is the kind of move that would get a player red-carded in any reasonable match.
Konami has been operating eFootball as a free-to-play service since it replaced PES, and the transition has been... let's call it a rocky open-world experience with no fast travel and constant loading screens. The Master League promise was one of the few carrots keeping long-time fans engaged - and now that carrot has an expiry date stamped on it.
Whether Konami plans to make this a permanent mode eventually or is just testing the waters with a limited rollout remains to be seen. But right now, the respawn timer on fan goodwill is looking very, very long.
