An eFootball game being a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive was not on our bingo card this year, but that’s exactly what’s happening. The brand new eFootball Kick-Off! is a spin-off game from the main eFootball experience, and it’s the franchise’s debut on a Nintendo console.
From what we can tell from the trailer, the game looks decent graphically, but gameplay-wise it looks to be much better than the mobile port. The planned release date is June 3, 2026.
Operation Sports App
Your ultimate companion for sports gaming. Access in-depth coverage, thoughtful discussion, and a community built around the games—and sports—you love.
Your ultimate sports gaming companion.
Everything We Know About eFootball Kick-Off!
For those who prefer solo fun, this spinoff title features a World Tour mode, where you can compete against other clubs in a tournament style. You can also build your own original team and enter tournaments by recruiting and signing new players. As you win matches, you can actually recruit players from the teams you beat. Of course, you can also spend coins to sign players the traditional way.
Another new addition is the 6-a-side matches, which will be at a faster pace on a smaller pitch, resulting in more goals. This mode particularly looks fun for couch play. There’s also an International Cup, which as the name suggests, involves a tournament between national teams.
The trailer states that, overall, controls will be easy to pick up and learn, even for newcomers to football games. There’s also an “easy controls” feature, which slows the game down when it’s time to shoot.
Finally, the game also involves a rank-based system for online play. However, we don’t have any confirmation of online co-op ranked play so far, and we hope Konami adds it to the final release. As the game is on the Switch 2, you can play it in docked mode on your TV or in handheld mode whenever you feel like it.
The game also supports Nintendo’s GameShare feature. This means that if at least one of your friends owns a copy, up to three other players can join in.
An important distinction between this and the main eFootball game is the fact that Kick-Off! will not be a free experience. Instead, it will cost you $19.99 for the digital download from the Nintendo Switch eShop.
Published: Mar 6, 2026 03:30 pm