If you’re a PS4 user who loves casual football games to play with friends on slow weekends, you’ve probably stumbled across eFootball 2022 in the PlayStation Store and wondered is eFootball 2022 free on PS4. I asked the exact same question last year when I was looking for a low-effort game to play with my cousin, who lives 3 hours away and only has a PS4. There was so much conflicting info online, with some people saying it’s completely free and others saying you have to pay to access even basic modes, so I tested it out for myself and compiled everything I learned to make it easier for other players to figure out.
Is eFootball 2022 Free on PS4? The Short Answer
Let’s cut straight to the point: yes, the base edition of eFootball 2022 is 100% free to download and play on PS4, no upfront purchase required. Konami shifted the franchise to a free-to-play model starting with this release, moving away from the $60 upfront cost of earlier Pro Evolution Soccer titles. The base version of eFootball 2022 for PS4 has no upfront cost whatsoever, and you don’t need a paid subscription to play offline modes like exhibition matches, training drills, or local co-op with friends on the same console. If you’ve been wondering is eFootball 2022 free on PS4 because you’re on a tight budget, this is great news for you.
You will need an active PlayStation Plus subscription if you want to play online multiplayer against random users or friends in other locations, that’s a standard requirement for most PS4 online games, not a specific rule for eFootball 2022. When the game first launched, there were a lot of complaints about buggy gameplay and limited content, but Konami released multiple patches in the months after launch that fixed almost all of the core issues players reported. I haven’t run into any game-breaking bugs in the last 8 months of playing, so you don’t have to worry about downloading an unplayable mess like the initial launch version.
What Extra Content Costs Money in eFootball 2022 for PS4?
While the base game is completely free, Konami does offer optional paid content for players who want to expand their experience. None of this content is required to enjoy the core game, but it’s good to know what’s available so you don’t get caught off guard by pop-ups for paid items when you launch the game. A lot of people who ask is eFootball 2022 free on PS4 are worried that the free version is just a demo, but that’s not the case at all. The most common paid offerings include:
- Premium player packs to build your dream team in the Dream Team mode, ranging from $0.99 for small coin bundles to $99.99 for top-tier packs with rare, high-rated players from top leagues around the world
- Special edition team kits, stadium designs, custom goal celebrations, and other in-game cosmetics to customize your play experience and make your team stand out
- Paid season passes that unlock exclusive players, limited-time challenges, and bonus in-game coins across 3-month update cycles
- Standalone game modes that were released post-launch as optional paid add-ons, including the fan-favorite Master League career mode that lets you manage a full team across multiple seasons
You never have to buy any of these items to enjoy the game. If you just want to play quick 10-minute matches with your favorite real-world teams against friends or the AI, you can do that forever without spending a single dollar. You won’t be locked out of core gameplay if you choose not to spend money on extra content, and the game doesn’t put paywalls in front of any of the standard exhibition or local co-op modes. The only time you’ll feel pressured to spend money is if you want to compete in the top ranks of the Dream Team online mode, where most top players spend money on premium player packs to get the highest-rated squads possible.
Step-by-Step to Download the Free eFootball 2022 Base Game on PS4
Many users get confused when they first search for is eFootball 2022 free on PS4 because the premium bundles show up first in search results most of the time. I made this exact mistake when I first tried to download the game, I clicked the first listing that popped up and almost paid $40 for a premium bundle before I realized there was a free base version available. To avoid that mistake, follow these simple steps:
First, open the PlayStation Store on your PS4 console and use the search bar to type “eFootball 2022”. Scroll past the first few paid listings until you find the one that explicitly says “Free To Play” next to the title. The paid listings will say things like “Premium Edition” or “Dream Team Starter Bundle” in the title, so you can easily tell them apart. Once you find the free base listing, click “Download” and wait for the 35GB file to install on your console. The download can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on your internet speed, so you might want to start it before you make dinner or do another task.
Always verify the listing says "Free To Play" next to the title before you confirm the download to avoid accidentally buying paid content you don’t want. After the game installs, you can launch it immediately, no activation code or extra steps required. You will need to link a Konami account if you want to save your progress online, but that’s also free to create if you don’t already have one.
Is the Free Version of eFootball 2022 on PS4 Worth Playing?
If you’re still asking is eFootball 2022 free on PS4 and if it’s worth your time, the short answer is yes for casual players, and it depends for more competitive players. The answer depends almost entirely on what you want out of a football game. For casual players who just want to play quick matches with friends, either locally or online, the free version is absolutely worth downloading. It has all the top licensed teams from La Liga, the Premier League, Serie A, and the Bundesliga, so you can play as your favorite real-world team without paying a cent. Crossplay with PS5 users is also supported, so you can play with friends who have newer consoles without any issues.
Casual players who just want to play quick football matches with friends will get more than enough value from the free version, and there’s no risk to trying it since it costs nothing. For competitive players who want to climb the ranked ladders in Dream Team mode, the free version might feel limiting. The highest-rated players are almost exclusively available in paid premium packs, so you’ll have a very hard time competing against players who have spent hundreds of dollars on their squads. Competitive players who want to climb ranked Dream Team ladders will likely need to spend money to keep up with top players, so if that’s your main goal, you might want to factor that extra cost in before you start playing. There are also occasional pop-up ads for paid DLC when you launch the game, which can be annoying, but they only last a few seconds and you can skip them immediately.
At the end of the day, if you’re on the fence about trying the game, the answer to is eFootball 2022 free on PS4 is a resounding yes, and there’s no risk to giving it a try. Even if you end up not liking the gameplay, you didn’t spend any money to download it, so you won’t be out anything. If you end up loving it, you can choose to buy extra content as you go, or stick to the free core modes for as long as you want. I still play a few quick matches every weekend with my cousin, and I haven’t spent a cent on the game in the year I’ve had it downloaded. It’s not perfect, but for a free football game on PS4, it’s one of the best options you’ll find right now.