After a lengthy wait, eFootball's latest update has arrived and has significantly improved the successor to Pro Evolution Soccer.

Konami moved to the free-to-play space with the launch of eFootball, but after years of fierce competition with EA's FIFA 22, they missed the mark at launch.

The move could have given Konami a giant leap in closing the gap on their rivals, but the game launched with serious gameplay issues and awkward graphical glitches.

Finally, the v1.0 patch arrived this week and the feedback in reports online has been impressive.

The patch offered a large variety of tweaks to the gameplay, which has resulted in punchier passing, which feels more realistic, while new physicality mechanics allow for better jostling to fight for possession.

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There is also the Stunning Pass feature, which allows for those glorious assist moments if you are patient and use the ability with the right kind of player.

Artificial intelligence has been improved too, allowing for more fluid movement in attack and defence.

However, despite the array of positive changes, there is still concern over the structure of the game on a whole. Only select teams are licenced and available to use for friendlies, with most of the focus being on the Dream Team mode.

That mode offers plenty of flexibility as you can upgrade player cards to create a team that plays the way you want them to, but as PushSquare put it, the game overall can still feel very much like a demo.

This is still a major step forward considering the disastrous launch, and it remains to be seen whether eFootball can chip away at EA's player base going forward.