Free-to-play PES 2016 rated by Australian Board

Konami may be about to release a second version of PES 2016 that scraps the game’s upfront costs.

The Australian Classification Board has listed a title called Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 Free To Play. No platforms have been specified, and while its not stated you’d expect the game to be a digital-only release. Whether that spans consoles as well as PC remains to be seen.

Konami’s latest title already dabbles with microtransactions with its MyClub mode, which effectively is Konami’s take on EA’s Ultimate Team. The hope may be that by scrapping an upfront fee an F2P version can entice in a new audience – perhaps one that isn’t willing to shell out 40-50 for a new football game each year.

PES 2016 hit current-gen and last-gen consoles, as well as PC, in September. It fared well with critics but commercially has failed to close the gap on the FIFA series.

Konami’s game entered the UK charts at No.3 in its debut week in September. In Japan, the PS4 SKU was outsold by the PS3 version, although it failed to claim the No.1 spot.

Konami recently delayed its controversial squad patch until December, while also announcing that it is to release Euro 2016 content for the game for free.