If you’re a football game fan tired of shelling out $70 for annual sports sim releases, you’ve almost certainly asked at some point: is eFootball 2023 free to play, or are there hidden costs you need to plan for? Konami shifted the eFootball franchise to a free-to-play model a few years back, but there’s still a lot of misinformation floating around about what content is locked behind paywalls, and what you can access without spending a cent. I’ve spent over 120 hours playing eFootball 2023 across console, PC and mobile, so I’ll break down exactly what you get for free, what optional purchases are available, and how to get the most out of the game without spending money.
Is eFootball 2023 Free on All Platforms?
The short answer here is yes: the base version of eFootball 2023 is 100% free to download and play on every supported platform, with no upfront purchase required. That includes PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Windows PC, iOS and Android mobile devices, and Nintendo Switch. You don’t even need to link a payment method to your account to download the game and start playing.
There is one small caveat to note for console players. If you want to play online ranked or casual matches on PlayStation or Xbox, you will need an active PS Plus or Xbox Live Gold subscription. That’s a platform-wide requirement for online play on those systems, though, not a fee specific to eFootball 2023. If you only plan to play offline matches against AI or local friends, you won’t need any subscription at all. You will never have to pay an upfront fee to download and install the base eFootball 2023 game on any supported device.
Mobile players get an extra perk, too: the mobile version of the game has the exact same core gameplay as console and PC versions, with all the same free content access, no separate fees or restricted modes for mobile users. The only difference is slightly simplified controls for touchscreens, which you can adjust to match your play style.
What Free Content Do You Get Access To?
Many players assume free-to-play sports games lock most of their content behind paywalls, but that’s not the case for eFootball 2023. All core gameplay features are available to free users, with no restrictions that impact how you play matches. You’ll have access to every licensed team, every stadium, and every gameplay mode right from the first time you open the game.
All core gameplay mechanics are fully available for free users, with no locked features that impact how matches play out. Even the popular Dream Team mode, where you build your own custom squad of real players, is fully accessible for free. You start with a basic squad of low-rated players, and you can earn in-game currency, training items, and new player cards just by playing matches and completing challenges, no purchase required.
To break it down clearly, here’s a full list of content you can access for free without spending any money:
- Full offline friendly match access with all licensed national teams and top club sides from leagues around the world
- Weekly rotating online casual match modes with no entry fees, matched to your skill level
- Full Dream Team mode progression through earned in-game GP currency, no purchase required to build a top-rated squad
- Free training modules and tutorial content to help you master advanced mechanics like timed shooting, skill moves, and defensive positioning
- Access to all regular gameplay updates, balance patches, and new licensed team and player drops as they’re released
I’ve built a Dream Team with an 87 overall rating entirely for free, just by playing a few matches a week and completing challenges. It’s more than competitive enough to hold its own against squads built by players who have spent hundreds of dollars on in-game purchases, so you don’t have to worry about being at a disadvantage if you don’t spend money.
Optional Paid Purchases You Can Skip If You Want
While the core game is fully free, there are optional paid purchases available in the in-game store for players who want to speed up progression or unlock exclusive cosmetic items. None of these purchases are required to enjoy the full game, and none of them give players a competitive advantage over free users. Paid purchases never give players a competitive gameplay advantage, only cosmetic items or faster progression.
The main paid currency is eFootball Coins, which you can buy with real money in different bundle sizes. You can use these coins to buy special player packs, premium battle pass tiers, and exclusive cosmetic items like custom kits, stadium designs, and player celebration animations. The premium battle pass gives you extra bonus rewards as you play, but the free tier of the battle pass already gives you 90% of the useful rewards, including GP, training items, and high-rated player cards. The paid tier only adds extra cosmetic items and bonus coins, so it’s not worth buying for most casual players.
Some players choose to spend money on random player packs to try to get rare high-rated players fast, but the drop rates for top-tier players in these packs are extremely low. I’ve seen friends drop $100 on packs and only get a handful of mid-rated players they could have earned for free in a week of completing weekly challenges. If you only play casual matches with friends, you will never have a reason to spend money on eFootball 2023. The paid content is entirely optional, and you’re not missing out on any core gameplay by skipping it.
The only time you might want to consider spending money is if you’re a super competitive player who wants to build a top-tier Dream Team as fast as possible for ranked tournament play. Even then, you can still build a competitive squad for free if you’re willing to put in a few weeks of consistent play, so it’s not a requirement.
Tips to Enjoy eFootball 2023 Fully Without Spending Money
If you want to get the most out of eFootball 2023 without spending a cent, there are a few simple tips that will help you progress fast and have more fun. I’ve used all of these tips myself to build my competitive squad for free, so I can confirm they work.
First, log in daily even if you only have 2 minutes to spare. The daily login rewards often include thousands of GP, training items, and sometimes even free high-rated player cards, and you don’t have to play a match to claim them. Over a month, those daily rewards add up to tens of thousands of GP that you can use to sign top players for your squad. Saving your earned GP for limited-time guaranteed player drops is the fastest way to build a strong team for free. Don’t waste your GP on random player packs, which have very low drop rates for good players. Instead, save up for the featured player campaigns that run every two weeks, where you can spend GP to get a guaranteed specific high-rated player, no randomness involved.
Second, prioritize weekly Challenge Cup modes. These are limited-time challenges that usually require you to win 3 or 4 matches against AI or casual online opponents, and they reward you with 10,000+ GP and a guaranteed 80+ rated player for completing them. Most of these challenges take less than an hour to finish, so they’re well worth your time if you want to build your squad fast.
Third, play casual matches with friends or skill-matched opponents instead of jumping into ranked play right away. Ranked matches can sometimes have players who spent money on their squads, but casual matches match you based on your actual skill level, not your team’s overall rating, so you’ll have more balanced, fun matches without feeling pressured to upgrade your squad faster than you want to. You can also join online communities of free-to-play eFootball players to find matches against other people who aren’t spending money, so you know you’re on a level playing field.
At the end of the day, the answer to is eFootball 2023 free is a resounding yes for anyone who wants to play the core game without extra perks. The optional paid content is entirely skippable, and you can get hundreds of hours of fun out of the game without spending a single cent. It’s a great option for casual football fans who don’t want to drop full price on a new sports game every year, and even competitive players can build a top-tier squad without spending money if they’re willing to put in a little time. If you’ve been curious about trying it, you can download it right now with no risk, and you’ll have access to almost everything the game has to offer before you even see a prompt to spend money.