I’ve been playing football simulation games for over 13 years, starting with PES 2010 on an old PS3 and testing every major release from Konami and EA ever since. Over the past year, I’ve gotten dozens of messages from friends and followers asking if eFootball 2023 is good, especially after the disastrous launch of eFootball 2022 left a lot of long-time fans wary of the franchise. I’ve put in over 200 hours across PS5, PC, and mobile versions of the game, so I’ve got a pretty clear picture of who it’s for, what it does well, and where it falls short. This breakdown will skip the marketing fluff and give you the honest details you need to decide if it’s worth downloading.
Is eFootball 2023 Good for Casual Players First?
If you only play football games a few times a week, either alone or with friends on the couch, eFootball 2023 is actually a really solid pick right out of the gate. The base game is completely free to download on all platforms, and you don’t have to spend a penny to access core casual modes like local friendly matches, online quick matches, and weekly themed challenge modes that let you earn free in-game rewards. Crossplay support across all major platforms means you can play with friends no matter if they’re on PlayStation, Xbox, PC, or even mobile, which is a huge perk that a lot of paid sports games still don’t offer seamlessly.
You don’t have to grind for hours to have fun as a casual player, either. The weekly challenge modes give you pre-built teams with top-tier players, so you don’t have to spend months collecting cards to play with Messi or Haaland. Zero paywall for core casual match modes means you can pick up the controller for 30 minutes after work, play a couple of matches, and have a good time without being bombarded with constant microtransaction prompts. The only catch for casual players is that single-player modes like Master League are sold as separate paid DLC, so if you’re only interested in offline career play, you will have to spend extra to access that content.
Gameplay Improvements That Make eFootball 2023 Stand Out From Earlier Releases
The biggest complaint about eFootball 2022 was how broken and unpolished the gameplay felt, with clunky player movements, unrealistic ball physics, and obvious scripted moments that made matches feel rigged. Konami clearly put a lot of work into fixing those issues for 2023, and the difference is noticeable from your first match. The revamped ball physics system feels far more realistic, with balls bouncing off players’ chests and feet the way you’d expect them to in real life, instead of sticking to players’ boots like magnets as they did in 2022.
Defensive play is also far more balanced this time around. The smarter defensive AI logic means defenders will actually track runs and mark open players instead of standing still and watching opponents run past them, which was a common frustration in earlier versions. You also can’t just sprint past entire defenses with a fast winger anymore, as defenders will cut off your angles and force you to pass the ball around to create chances, which makes matches feel far more tactical and rewarding.
Some of the most impactful improvements include:
- Elimination of the infamous "scripted" comeback mechanics that plagued 2022, where losing teams would get unrealistic stat boosts in the final 10 minutes to force a draw or win
- Over 5,000 new player motion captures, including unique running styles, shooting animations, and celebration moves for top stars like Mbappé, Messi, and Erling Haaland that match their real-world mannerisms exactly
- Reduced input lag of up to 30% for console and PC players, making fast passing, dribbling, and defending far more responsive, especially for competitive players who rely on quick reactions
- More accurate player stat updates that reflect real-life performance every two weeks, instead of once a month as in previous versions, so in-form players get the stat boosts they deserve quickly
These changes might seem small on paper, but they add up to a gameplay experience that feels far more polished and fair than any earlier eFootball release. I used to quit matches all the time in 2022 because I’d lose to obvious scripted moments, but in 200 hours of playing 2023, I can count the number of matches that felt rigged on one hand.
The Drawbacks of eFootball 2023 You Should Know Before Downloading
For all its improvements, eFootball 2023 isn’t perfect, and there are a few big issues that might make it a bad fit for some players. The biggest complaint most long-time fans have is the paid standalone DLC for core single-player modes. For decades, PES games included Master League and Become a Legend career modes in the base purchase, but now you have to pay $19.99 separately to access both modes, which feels like a cheap cash grab for players who only care about single-player content.
Microtransactions for the Dream Team mode are also pretty aggressive if you want to build a top-tier team quickly. The drop rates for 5-star player cards are less than 3%, so you can spend $50 on loot boxes and still not get the top player you want. You can build a competitive team for free if you grind 10+ hours a week, but if you don’t have that kind of time to spare, you’ll be at a big disadvantage against players who are willing to spend money on cards.
Optimization is still a problem for older hardware, too. I tested the game on a PS4 Slim and a budget laptop with an integrated graphics card, and both struggled to hit 30 FPS during matches with lots of on-screen action, like corner kicks or counterattacks. The mobile version also has frequent crashes on older phones, which can be frustrating if you mostly play on the go. Server stability is hit or miss during big event weekends, too, and if you get disconnected mid-match, you’ll automatically lose even if the crash is Konami’s fault.
Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Play eFootball 2023?
After playing the game for hundreds of hours and talking to dozens of other players across different skill levels, I’ve got a pretty clear picture of who will get the most out of eFootball 2023. First, it’s a great pick if you’re tired of the arcade-style gameplay of EA’s FC series and want a more tactical, realistic football simulation. The gameplay rewards smart passing and defensive positioning more than raw speed, which is a nice change of pace for players who hate feeling like matches are decided by who has the fastest wingers.
It’s also a great pick if you mostly play casual matches with friends, since the free base version gives you all the content you need for local and online crossplay matches without spending a penny. Competitive players will also appreciate the balanced gameplay and low input lag, which makes it a solid option for tournament play.
That said, there are a few groups of people who should probably skip eFootball 2023 entirely. If you only care about single-player career modes and don’t want to pay extra for DLC, you’re better off sticking with older PES releases or picking up EA’s latest FC game, which includes career modes in the base purchase. If you’re a zero-spend player who doesn’t have 10+ hours a week to grind for Dream Team cards, you’ll probably get frustrated playing against players who spend money on better cards. And if you only have access to older hardware like a PS4 Slim or a budget laptop, you’ll probably deal with constant frame rate drops that make the game unplayable.
So, back to the original question: is eFootball 2023 good? The answer depends entirely on what you’re looking for in a football game. If you want a free, realistic football simulation to play casually with friends or compete in online matches, it’s one of the best options on the market right now. If you care more about single-player content or don’t want to deal with aggressive microtransactions, you’ll probably be happier with a different game. The best part is that the base version is completely free, so you can download it, play a few matches, and decide for yourself without risking any money.