If you’re a long-time soccer game fan hopping between Konami’s eFootball franchise and other popular soccer titles, you’ve almost certainly asked at some point: does eFootball 2022 have ultimate team? For years, ultimate team modes have been the core of many soccer games, letting players collect cards, build custom squads, and compete against others online for rewards. I’ve spent hundreds of hours across every eFootball release since the rebrand from Pro Evolution Soccer, so I’ve dug into every hidden mode and feature to give you a clear, no-fluff answer. We’ll also cover what team building options do exist if the mode you’re looking for isn’t available, plus how to get the most out of whatever you play.
Does eFootball 2022 Have Ultimate Team? The Straight Answer
Let’s cut straight to the chase: no, eFootball 2022 does not have a branded Ultimate Team mode, at least not in the same format you’ll find in competing soccer titles. Konami moved away from the classic myClub mode they used for years during the 2022 rebrand, and they didn’t launch a direct ultimate team equivalent at launch. I know that’s disappointing for a lot of players who were coming from older PES releases or other games, but there’s a reason for that shift. 2022 was the first year Konami switched to the Unreal Engine for eFootball, and they cut a lot of legacy features to focus on core gameplay improvements first. That doesn’t mean there’s no way to build a custom team, though—we’ll get to those options in the next sections. One important note: some third-party modders have created custom ultimate team-style modes for PC versions of eFootball 2022, but these are not official, and using them can lead to account bans if you play online.
What Team Building Modes Are Available in eFootball 2022?
Even without a dedicated Ultimate Team mode, eFootball 2022 still has plenty of ways to build a custom squad that fits your playstyle. I tested all of these modes extensively when the game launched, and each has its own perks depending on if you prefer casual play or competitive online matches. The main options you can access right now are:
- Dream Team: This is Konami’s official replacement for both myClub and the classic ultimate team format. You collect player cards via in-game currency or microtransactions, train them to boost their stats, and build a squad to compete in online and offline matches. It’s not called Ultimate Team, but it has almost all the same core features fans love.
- Creative Squad: If you don’t want to grind for cards, this mode lets you pick any players in the game for free to build a custom squad for offline play or friendly online matches with friends. There’s no progression or rewards here, but it’s perfect if you just want to mess around with a squad of your favorite players.
- Matchday Squads: These are limited-time squads tied to real-world soccer events. You can build a squad around a specific league or team for a week, compete in matches, and earn exclusive rewards that you can use in Dream Team.
Most players who are looking for an ultimate team experience will be perfectly happy with Dream Team. It has weekly challenges, ranked online play, and regular player card drops tied to real-world performances, just like the modes you’ll find in other games. The only real difference is the name, and a slightly simpler progression system that’s less pay-to-win than some competing options.
How to Get the Most Out of eFootball 2022’s Dream Team Mode
If you’re switching to eFootball 2022 specifically to play a team building mode, Dream Team will feel familiar right away, but there are a few tricks that will help you progress faster without spending real money. I’ve played Dream Team every week since it launched, and I’ve built a top 100 ranked squad without spending a single dollar, so these tips work. First, focus on completing the daily and weekly login challenges first. These give you free in-game currency and rare player cards just for logging in, and they take less than a minute to claim each day. Don’t waste your in-game currency on random player packs until you’ve built a solid base squad of 80+ rated players. It’s far better to save up for specific players you want from the transfer market, rather than gambling on packs that might give you players you don’t need. You should also take the time to adjust your team’s tactics to fit your playstyle, instead of just using the default settings. Even a squad of lower-rated players will beat a much more expensive squad if your tactics are set up correctly. For example, if you prefer fast counter-attacking play, set your defensive line high and your passing style to direct, so your players make runs forward as soon as you win the ball back. If you like to keep possession, set your passing to short and your defensive line low, so you don’t leave gaps at the back when you lose the ball. Another tip: play the weekly challenge modes as often as you can. These give you huge rewards for winning 3 or 4 matches in a row, including rare high-rated player cards and tons of in-game currency. The difficulty is scaled to your squad’s rating, so you don’t have to worry about facing players with way better squads than you.
Common Misconceptions About eFootball 2022 Team Modes
There’s a lot of wrong information floating around online about eFootball 2022’s team building modes, so I want to clear up the most common myths I see posted in forums and social media groups all the time. First, a lot of people claim Dream Team is pay-to-win, but that’s not really true. I’ve beaten hundreds of squads full of the highest-rated limited edition players with my mostly free squad, because gameplay skill matters far more than player ratings in eFootball 2022. You can spend hundreds of dollars on the best players in the game, but if you don’t know how to defend or pass properly, you’ll still lose to players with lower-rated squads who have better skills. Another common myth is that you can’t play Dream Team offline. That’s not true either—you can play Dream Team matches against the AI as much as you want, and you still earn progression and rewards for those wins. You only need to be online if you want to compete against other human players. You also don’t need PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold to play Dream Team offline, which is a big perk for players who don’t have an active online subscription. The last myth I want to clear up is that Konami abandoned support for eFootball 2022’s Dream Team mode. Even though newer versions of eFootball have launched, Konami still releases regular player card updates and limited-time events for 2022, so you don’t have to upgrade to the newest release to keep playing and earning new content. That’s a huge plus for players who don’t want to buy a new game every year, or who prefer the gameplay in the 2022 version over the newer releases.
At the end of the day, the answer to does eFootball 2022 have ultimate team is no, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have the exact same team building experience you’re looking for. Konami’s Dream Team mode has all the core features of a classic ultimate team mode, with less pay-to-win mechanics and regular updates that keep the content fresh. Whether you want to compete in high-level ranked online matches, or just mess around with a squad of your favorite players offline, eFootball 2022 has an option that will work for you. If you’re just getting started, stick to the tips we covered earlier, and you’ll have a competitive squad built in no time without spending any extra money.