In a surprise move, Konami has released an online performance test demo for a new project they are working on. 

The project is a football game currently only known as “New Football Game”. It is widely suspected to be PES 2022.

The demo is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series consoles, and Xbox One. It will have crossplay between console generations.

Konami released an FAQ where they said that this was a test of the game’s matchmaking and servers, adding that the gameplay and visuals are unfinished.

The demo only allows for 1v1 matches with the teams, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Juventus, and Barcelona. 

The strange thing about this demo launch is how little focus Konami is calling to it. That being said, anyone who plays the demo will earn 25,000 GP (the virtual currency used in PES) in PES 2021 to be used in the game’s MyClub mode.

After taking a break last year, PES is set to return this year as a new gen game built with a new engine. The team has also been quietly acquiring rights from various football teams, seemingly getting ready to take the FIFA series on directly.

The demo will be available until 9 July.