The UEFA deal ties up a four year exclusive license to feature the Champions League, Europe’s premiere club soccer competition, in PES games.
“The Pro Evolution Soccer series is synonymous with football being played at the highest level, which makes it perfect for hosting the best club football competition in the world”, said UEFA.
“This deal showcases our commitment to taking PES 2009 forward in terms of licenses and realism,” added Kunio Neo, president of Konami Digital Entertainment. “The UEFA Champions League is the jewel in the club competition crown, and is just one of many innovations we have lined up for the new game.”
Konami also announced that it has reached an agreement to feature current English and European Champions Manchester United FC and rivals Liverpool FC in PES 2009.
“Konami is continually striving to add key licenses to the PES series, and the capture of the English game’s most successful club is another major step forward,” said Jon Murphy, PES team leader for Konami.
The PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC versions of PES 2009 will be released on October 17, followed by the PS2 edition on October 30 and the PSP version on November 6. The game will release for Wii in 2009.