PES 2013: UEFA Champions League agreement extended, steel book editions available in the UK

Konami has announced it has extended its exclusive agreement with UEFA for the use of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League competitions in its Pro Evolution Soccer series.

The publisher has also bolstered various licences for use within its forthcoming PES 2013 title, with the Spanish league licensed in its entirety, while all the club’s from Italy’s highest league are also included. Konami has also sourced individual agreements with Manchester United, Bayern Munich, FC Porto, AEK Athens, Galatasaray Istanbul, Shahktar Donetsk, FC Kopenhagen, Zenit St Petersburg, CSKA Moscow, RSC Anderlecht, Dinamo Kyiv and Dinamo Zagreb among many others. Overall, 150 licensed teams are now available, with 17 more licensed national squads added, including the likes of England, Italy, Germany and France. Details on additional licences will follow.

“The UEFA Champions League is the most prestigious club competition in football, and we are delighted to have extended our relationship with UEFA to continue to feature it exclusively in PES 2013 and beyond,” commented Shinji Hirano, President for Konami. “With the emphasis in the new game focusing on control, freedom of play and the individual brilliance of the world’s best players, it is only fitting that PES 2013 features the one competition where their talents are truly showcased.”

Konami is also offering a pre-order incentive in the form of a limited edition UEFA Champions League steel book edition. This specially-packaged version will be exclusively available via Blockbuster in the UK, and celebrates Konami’s exclusive agreement to feature the UEFA Champions League within the Pro Evolution Soccer series, and a secondary bonus includes a DLC code to unlock Historic UEFA Champions League Match Balls as seen in the real-life competition. The UK will also get a second, Manchester United-themed steelbook edition for pre-orders, boasting the club’s livery on its cover and which is exclusive to GAME Stores.

PES 2013 will be released on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC at the end of September, with versions for PlayStation 2, PSP, Wii and Nintendo 3DS to follow.