If you’re a long-time PES fan who’s spent hundreds of hours building a ragtag lower-league squad into Champions League winners, you’ve definitely asked the same question as thousands of other players: will efootball have master league. The iconic management career mode was the backbone of every PES release for over 20 years, and its absence from eFootball’s launch in 2021 left a huge gap for single-player players who don’t care for competitive online matches. I’ve been playing Master League since PES 6, and I still have a save from PES 2012 where I took Leyton Orient from League Two to European glory, so I get just how frustrating this wait has been. This guide breaks down everything we know about the mode’s future, from official statements to leaked details, so you don’t have to dig through random forum posts for reliable info.
Will eFootball Have Master League? What Konami Has Officially Confirmed So Far
Let’s cut straight to the most important question first. Konami has officially confirmed multiple times that Master League is in active development for eFootball, so we know it’s coming at some point. Konami has repeatedly stated that Master League is a top priority for their development team, even as they’ve pushed back its release date multiple times since first announcing it back in 2021. The original planned launch window was late 2022, but that got pushed back when the team had to redirect resources to fixing core gameplay bugs and server issues that plagued the game’s first year of release.
Most recently, a snippet of Konami’s internal development roadmap leaked on a popular eFootball forum, and it listed Master League as being in the “beta testing” phase for PC and console versions. The roadmap didn’t include a specific release date, but it noted that the team is targeting a launch before the end of the current game cycle. We also know that Konami has been running closed playtests for the mode with a small group of content creators and long-time players since mid 2024, so progress is definitely being made.
That said, Konami hasn’t given any public commitment to a release window as of now, and they’ve warned that they will push the launch back again if the mode isn’t up to fan expectations. It’s a frustrating position for fans, but it’s also a sign that the team doesn’t want to repeat the mistakes of eFootball’s launch by releasing a half-finished product.
What We Can Expect From eFootball's Master League If It Launches
Data miners have been digging through eFootball’s game files after every update for the past two years, and they’ve uncovered tons of hints about what the new Master League will look like. Most of the core features that made the original mode so popular are still intact, but Konami is also adding a few new quality of life updates to bring it up to modern standards. We don’t have a full feature list yet, but here’s what’s been confirmed through leaks and playtest comments:
Playtesters have also mentioned that the mode will include two separate playstyles: a modern version with all the new features, and a classic mode that mirrors the simple, addictive Master League experience from PES’s peak in the 2010s. Leaked code also references a "classic Master League mode" that will mirror the 2010s PES experience for long-time fans, which is a huge win for players who don’t want unnecessary extra features cluttering up the mode they love.
The only potential downside we’ve seen so far is hints that some advanced features might be locked behind a paid DLC pack. Konami hasn’t confirmed any pricing yet, but it’s common for modern sports games to charge extra for single-player career modes, so it’s something to keep in mind when the mode eventually launches. Most fans have already said they’re willing to pay a reasonable one-time fee for the mode, as long as it’s not locked behind a recurring subscription or filled with microtransactions.
Why Has eFootball's Master League Taken So Long to Release?
It’s easy to be angry at Konami for taking so long to release Master League, especially when the mode was a staple of every PES release for decades. But the reality is that the team has had to overcome a lot of unexpected challenges since eFootball’s disastrous 2021 launch. The game was built on a brand new engine that was far more buggy than the team expected, and they spent the first 18 months after launch just fixing core gameplay issues to stop players from leaving the game entirely.
Another big factor is that online modes like Dream Team are Konami’s biggest revenue driver for eFootball, so they’ve prioritized updating those modes first to keep the game profitable. Many long-time fans have accused Konami of abandoning single-player players in favor of microtransaction-heavy online modes, and that criticism is fair, but it’s also worth noting that the revenue from online modes is what’s paying for the development of Master League in the first place. Without that revenue, Konami would have likely abandoned eFootball entirely years ago.
Licensing issues have also slowed down development. Master League requires full licensing for all leagues, clubs, and players to work properly, and Konami has had to renegotiate a lot of their licensing deals for the new game engine. They’ve also added a lot of new leagues since PES 2021, so they have to make sure all of those new licenses work with the career mode’s structure, which takes a lot of time and legal work. I’ve talked to a few people who work in sports game licensing, and it’s not uncommon for these negotiations to take years to finalize, so that’s likely a bigger holdup than most fans realize.
What Can Fans Do While Waiting for Master League to Launch?
The wait for Master League is frustrating, but there are plenty of ways to get your single-player football fix in the meantime, even within eFootball itself. The game’s current custom league mode lets you set up your own multi-season career with custom rules, transfer windows, and squad building limits, so you can create a pretty close approximation of Master League if you’re willing to put a little work in. You can also create your own unofficial Master League experience by using Dream Team with only free agents and no microtransactions, which lets you build a squad from scratch without spending any money.
If you don’t mind going back to an older game, PES 2021 still has one of the best Master League modes ever made, and there are tons of free community mods that update the rosters, kits, and leagues to match the current season. I still play PES 2021 Master League a few times a week, and with the latest mod updates, it feels just as current as any new sports game. It’s a great option if you don’t want to wait for the new eFootball version to drop.
If you want to help speed up the development process, the best thing you can do is share constructive feedback with Konami through their official social media channels or feedback portal. The development team regularly surveys players about what features they want to see in Master League, so your input can actually shape the final product. Avoid spamming toxic comments, as constructive feedback is far more likely to be seen and acted on by the development team. They’re already working as fast as they can to get the mode right, and harassment only makes the process slower for everyone.
At the end of the day, the answer for anyone asking will efootball have master league is a resounding yes, it’s just a matter of when. Konami has put too much time and resources into development to scrap the mode now, and the feedback from closed playtests has been overwhelmingly positive so far. The wait has been longer than anyone expected, but it’s better to get a polished, fully functional mode that lives up to the legacy of the original Master League than a rushed, buggy version that disappoints everyone. I’ll be posting all the latest news, leaks, and playtest impressions as soon as they’re available, so you can stay up to date on the mode we’ve all been waiting for.