Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 will make its exclusive UEFA Euro 2016 add-on free to all users, as a make-good for the poor handling and updating of the rosters for the game's offline modes.
"It has been a difficult few months for the fans, with a lot of confidence lost in how we have been delivering content in our recent Data Packs, with some items missing that our consumers expected," said Erik Bladinieres of Konami Digital Entertainment, using PES' term for the title update delivering new content. "The PES Production team appreciate their fans' support and want to put things right."
Next year's UEFA Euro 2016 content is free "to everyone who owns PES 2016," Konami said. No launch date for this content was announced. Euro 2016, the international soccer championship for that continent, plays from June 10 to July 10 2016 in France.
Konami said that the next Data Pack will include an up-to-date roster usable in the game's Master League and other single-player modes. Its absence had created the most angst for PES players, who played six weeks with a roster that was already out of date at launch. When the first update did arrive at the end of October, it still missed most of the transfers that had occurred nearly two months before.
The next Data Pack will also include a new stadium, new national team uniforms, additional clubs, and more.
UEFA, the organizing body for European soccer, announced in August that Konami had acquired the Euro 2016 license. It is unknown whether Konami intended to sell Euro 2016 content; the last Euro tournament, in 2012, was licensed to EA Sports and was a premium download for FIFA 12. Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 added a "World Challenge" mode sold for $10 after it launched; it was effectively an unlicensed World Cup tournament mode.
Pro Evolution Soccer has long been the exclusive home of the UEFA Champions League, which is the continent's annual championship tournament for professional clubs. That branding and tournament mode has been available in the main game for free.