If you’ve ever loaded up eFootball 2022 after a long week, craving a low-stakes match against the friend who brags they’re the best virtual striker in your group, you’ve definitely wondered can you play friends on eFootball 2022 without jumping through a dozen confusing hoops. A lot of players get tripped up by the game’s somewhat clunky lobby system and crossplay rules, especially since Konami rolled out several post-launch updates that shifted how multiplayer works. We’ve tested every setup across console, PC, and mobile to break down exactly what works, what doesn’t, and how to get your friend group playing together in 10 minutes or less.
Can You Play Friends on eFootball 2022 Across Different Platforms?
First, the short answer is yes, but there are some important limitations depending on what devices you and your friends use. Konami added full crossplay support for eFootball 2022 in a mid-season update, so players on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC can all match up against each other freely. Mobile players can only play against other mobile users, though, so if you’re on iOS or Android, you won’t be able to join lobbies with friends on console or PC. That’s a common point of confusion, since later eFootball versions expanded crossplay to mobile, but 2022 never got that update.
You also need to make sure all players have the latest game patch installed, because out-of-date versions won’t be able to connect to the same lobby, even if you’re on the same platform. If you keep getting “failed to join lobby” errors, that’s the first thing you should check. If you’re playing on a last-gen console like PS4 or Xbox One, you can still play with friends on PS5 or Xbox Series X/S, as long as both players have crossplay enabled in their game settings. Some players accidentally turn crossplay off to avoid facing more skilled players on newer consoles, so that’s another quick check you can do if you can’t see your friend’s lobby.
Step-by-Step to Set Up a Private Lobby for Friends
Setting up a private lobby is far simpler than most players think, once you know where to look in the menu. Most people skip over the small “Friend Match” tab on the multiplayer screen, which is exactly where you need to go to create a lobby only your friends can join. The process only takes a minute if you follow these simple steps:
- From the main menu, navigate to the “Game Modes” tab, then select “Friend Match” from the multiplayer submenu
- Choose whether you want to play 1v1, co-op 2v2, or 3v3, then set a lobby password that only you and your friends know
- Send the lobby ID and password to your friends, and wait for them to join before clicking “Start Match”
Don’t forget to turn off “matchmaking for random players” when you create the lobby, otherwise you might end up with strangers joining your private friend group game. If you want to play co-op against AI instead of against each other, you can select the “Co-op vs AI” option when creating the lobby, which lets you and up to two friends team up to take on CPU controlled teams of varying difficulty.
If you’re playing with a larger group of 6 or more people, you can set up a mini tournament bracket to keep things interesting, with prizes for the winning team if you want to add extra stakes. Many casual player groups that host regular eFootball nights also add light side games between matches to keep energy high, even if someone is on a losing streak. For example, players waiting for their turn to play often jump on Jaiho Win for quick, low-effort rounds that don’t require a lot of focus, so they don’t get bored while waiting for the current match to wrap up. It’s a great way to keep the vibe light, especially if someone just lost a really close match and needs a minute to reset before their next game.
Common Issues When Playing With Friends (And How to Fix Them)
Even if you follow all the steps correctly, you might run into a few common issues that stop you from connecting with your friends. One of the most frequent ones is NAT type errors, which happen if your internet router is set to a strict NAT setting that blocks peer-to-peer connections. To fix NAT type issues, you can either enable UPnP on your router settings, or set your console or PC as a DMZ host to open up the required ports for eFootball 2022. If you’re not sure how to adjust these settings, you can find step-by-step guides for most popular router models online in just a few seconds.
Another common issue is friends not showing up on your in-game friend list, even if you’re already friends on your platform’s network. That’s usually because you haven’t linked your Konami ID to your game account, and adding each other as friends on your Konami ID profile will fix that immediately. Also, if you’re playing on PC through Steam, make sure your game status is set to “online” instead of “offline” or “away”, otherwise the game won’t let you join or create lobbies.
If you’re still getting connection issues after fixing your NAT type, try connecting your console or PC directly to your router with an ethernet cable instead of using Wi-Fi, which often fixes lag or dropped connections mid-match. Wired connections are almost always more stable for peer-to-peer multiplayer games like eFootball 2022, so that’s a quick fix if you’re dealing with constant lag spikes that ruin your matches. It’s also worth noting that server outages happen occasionally, so if no one can connect to any multiplayer modes at all, check Konami’s official server status page to rule out widespread downtime before troubleshooting your own setup.
Fun Ways to Play With Friends Beyond Standard 1v1 Matches
Once you’ve got your lobby set up and running smoothly, you don’t have to stick to basic 1v1 matches to have a good time. A lot of friend groups come up with their own custom rules to make matches more interesting, especially if there’s a big skill gap between players. For example, you can set a rule that all goals have to be scored from outside the penalty box, or that you can only use players from one specific national team for the entire match. Another fun rule set is “no sprinting” for the entire match, which forces players to focus on passing and build-up play instead of just running down the wing as fast as possible, which evens the playing field for less experienced players a lot.
Co-op 3v3 matches are one of the most underrated multiplayer modes in eFootball 2022, because each player only controls one outfield player on the pitch, instead of the entire team, which leads to a lot of chaotic, fun moments even if you’re not a super skilled player. You can also set up a league system for your friend group, where each player earns points for every win, and the player with the most points at the end of the month gets bragging rights, or a small prize if you want to make it more competitive. A lot of groups also stream their friend matches on social media so other friends who can’t play can watch and commentate, which adds an extra layer of fun to the whole experience.
If you’re playing with new players, you can adjust the match difficulty to a lower setting so they don’t get discouraged if they’re going up against more experienced friends. You can also set a time limit for each match, or play a best-of-3 series to decide who the better player is once and for all. There’s no right or wrong way to play, as long as everyone in the group is having fun.
At the end of the day, there’s no better way to enjoy eFootball 2022 than going head to head against people you know, and now you have a clear answer to can you play friends on eFootball 2022, no matter what platforms you and your crew use. You don’t need to be a pro player to have a good time, even if your friend keeps spamming through balls and scoring cheap goals against you. Take a few minutes to set up your lobby, adjust the rules to fit your group’s skill level, and you’ll have hours of fun without dealing with the toxic random players that populate public matchmaking lobbies.