Konami has launched a PES 2022 open beta out of the blue

Konami has launched a surprise beta test for PES 2022.

Available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S until July 8, the beta matches players from various regions against each other to test online performance.

“The purpose of this beta test is to evaluate the quality of the online matchmaking and connection to the servers,” Konami said.

“Please note that gameplay mechanics, balancing, animations and graphics are all under development and will be improved before the official launch.”

Players don’t need to register to participate in this test, or to have a PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold subscription.

The test supports cross-gen play within console families and the playable teams are Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Juventus and Barcelona.

To take part, players need to visit their chosen console’s online marketplace, download ‘New Football Game Online Performance Test’, launch the game and agree to the T&Cs.

“This game is currently under development, so unexpected errors, such as crashes, may occur,” Konami warned.

“We may need to perform unscheduled maintenance during the test,” it added.

According to an in-game advert in the beta test, an announcement about the title is scheduled for July.

During the beta test period, Konami is also conducting a survey designed to gather player feedback. Survey participants will receive 25,000 GP usable in eFootball PES 2021 Season Update’s myClub mode.

Further reading

PES 2021 is a ‘streamlined season update’, while PES 2022 will use Unreal Engine

This year’s series entry to be a budget release as Konami switches focus to next-gen

Konami rebranded its long-running Pro Evolution Soccer series with 2019’s instalment, which was titled eFootball PES 2020 as part of a product refresh designed to highlight the publisher’s growing focus on the esports market.

And last July, it announced that 2020’s PES game would be a “streamlined” title delivered in the form of a “season update” rather than a full release as was usually the case.

Konami also confirmed that the next full entry in the series was being developed for using Epic‘s Unreal Engine rather than Konami’s Fox Engine. It said this would result in “staggering improvements to all areas of the game”, including more realistic player models and animations, enhanced physics, and photorealistic visuals.

Konami said it planned to begin testing the new game in mid-2021 and that it was targeting a release date later this year.