August 8 – Ahead of the rival launches of Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 and FIFA 18, Konami announced that PES2018 is now the Official Video Gaming Partner of Spanish club Valencia CF.
The agreement allows Konami to use the home, away and third kits in the upcoming game and PES2018 will include the Valencia player faces for the first team squad.
Jorge García, Valencia CF’s Head of Marketing, Commercial and Fan Experience Area, said he was “delighted with this partnership” which will raise Valencia’s global profile.
Jonas Lygaard, Senior Director – Brand & Business Development for Konami said, “Valencia is a club with a rich history, lots of legends and some exciting talent in the current roster”
Last week, Konami agreed a license agreement in Argentina allowing it to recreate all clubs in the Primera División of the AFA. As well as signing exclusive agreements with Chile’s Colo-Colo, and English club, Fulham.
The Valencia announcement was followed this morning by a series of announcements regarding Brazil, with Philipe Coutinho being signed up as new PES ambassador and cover star for Brazil and exclusive in-game license and marketing agreements with Vasco da Gama (including the Estádio São Januário), Flamengo, Corinthians and the Campeonato Brasileiro.
Whilst Coutinho announced on Twitter that he was “very happy and proud to be on the cover of the best football game ever!” it remains to be seen what inroads PES, whose engine provides an on-field play experience at least equal to that of FIFA, can make into the market leader’s sales lead.
PES 2018 launches on September 14 with FIFA 18 launching two weeks later on September 29.
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