There’s nothing better than grabbing a friend, a couple of controllers, and settling in for a few casual football matches when you’ve got free time. But if you’ve tried to launch a local multiplayer session recently, you’ve probably noticed Konami’s menu layout for eFootball 2023 is a lot less intuitive than older PES titles. A lot of players waste 20 minutes clicking through online menus before they find the right option, or give up entirely when their second controller won’t connect. This guide breaks down exactly how to play 2 player eFootball 2023 without the technical headaches, no matter what device you’re using.
Step-by-Step Setup to Play 2 Player eFootball 2023 on Any Platform
The first rule of local multiplayer setup for eFootball 2023 is to take care of pre-launch checks first, so you don’t have to close and restart the game halfway through. Do not launch the game before pairing your controllers, as the game rarely detects new inputs added after it’s already running. The exact menu steps vary a little by platform, but the core process is the same across all devices.
- Confirm both controllers (or a controller and touch input for mobile users) are paired to your device before launching the game
- Make sure you have downloaded the latest game patch to avoid missing multiplayer menu options that were added in post-launch updates
- Switch off any active online matchmaking queues before attempting to launch a local 2 player session, as active queues hide local mode options
- For PC users, double check that your controllers are recognized in Steam or your platform’s controller settings first, before opening eFootball 2023
Once you’ve done those checks, open the game and navigate to the main menu’s “Play” tab. Scroll past the online ranked and Dream Team online options until you see “Local Match”. Select that, and you’ll see a prompt to add a second player. Press any button on the second controller, and you’ll be taken to the team selection screen. PC users should avoid using Bluetooth for second controllers if possible, as wired connections have far less input lag and are detected far more reliably by the game.
Best 2 Player Game Modes to Try in eFootball 2023
You don’t have to stick to basic friendly matches with default teams to have fun with 2 player eFootball 2023. The game has a surprising number of local multiplayer mode options, depending on if you want to play against each other or team up against AI or online opponents.
The most popular casual option is the standard Local Friendly match, where you can pick any licensed club or national team, adjust half length, weather, and stadium settings to your preference. If you and your friend both have custom Dream Team squads built, Dream Team local 2 player mode is a great way to test your squad building skills against someone you know, instead of random online players. I’ve spent hours playing this mode with my roommate, and it’s way more fun than playing ranked online, because you can trash talk in person instead of typing in a chat box.
If you’d rather team up than play against each other, you can launch a local co-op match where both of you control players on the same team, either against AI or against other online co-op pairs. Just note that ranked online modes do not support local 2 player, so you’ll only be able to play unranked co-op matches against other players online.
Common 2 Player Setup Issues and Quick Fixes
Even if you follow all the setup steps perfectly, you might run into a few common issues that most eFootball 2023 players face when trying to launch local multiplayer. The good news is almost all of these issues have a simple, 30-second fix, so you don’t have to spend hours troubleshooting.
The most common issue is the game not detecting your second controller. If this happens, close the game completely, unpair and re-pair the controller to your device, then launch the game again. If you’re on PlayStation or Xbox and still can’t get the controller to connect, make sure the controller isn’t already paired to a different device in the same room.
Another frequent complaint is the Local Match option missing from the Play menu entirely. This almost always happens when you have crossplay enabled, as the game prioritizes online connection settings when crossplay is active. Disabling crossplay is the fastest fix for missing local multiplayer menus, I’ve tested this dozens of times for both PS5 and Xbox Series X, and it works 90% of the time. Just remember to turn crossplay back on if you want to play online later.
If you’re playing on mobile and can’t find the local multiplayer option at all, check your in-game settings first. Local multiplayer is turned off by default on mobile to save battery, so you’ll have to toggle it on manually before the option shows up in the Play menu.
Tips for Fun, Fair 2 Player Matches With Friends
Once you’ve got your 2 player session up and running, there are a few small tweaks you can make to keep matches fun for everyone, even if one player is way more experienced than the other. You don’t have to play with default competitive settings unless you’re practicing for a tournament, after all.
You can set individual difficulty levels for each player in local 2 player mode, which is a little-known feature that makes matches way more accessible for new players. If your friend has never played eFootball before, set their difficulty to Beginner and yours to Professional, and you’ll both have a competitive, fun match without one side getting crushed 10-0 every time.
My friend group has a monthly eFootball 2023 2 player tournament, and we’ve found that setting a few simple house rules makes the event way more fun for everyone. We ban picking the top 5 meta teams, so no one just spams PSG’s attack every match, and we don’t allow pausing unless someone has to take an emergency phone call. We also turn down foul detection a little, so accidental small tackles don’t stop the flow of the game every two minutes.
You can also experiment with custom game rules to mix things up if you’re playing multiple matches in a row. Try a “no through balls” rule, or force both players to only use youth academy players for a match, to level the playing field and keep things interesting. You can adjust these rules to fit your group’s playstyle, there’s no right or wrong way to play casual local matches.
At the end of the day, learning how to play 2 player eFootball 2023 doesn’t have to be a frustrating experience, as long as you follow the simple setup steps and know how to fix the most common small issues. Local multiplayer is one of the most underrated parts of modern sports games, and it’s a great way to spend time with friends without having to worry about toxic online opponents or lag spikes. Don’t be afraid to mess around with custom settings and game modes to find what works best for your group, the best part of local 2 player is that you make the rules.