PES 2016 Roster Update Finally Inbound After Konami Apology

The long wait for PES 2016's up-to-date player roster, which acknowledges transfers made during the closing days of the summer window, is scheduled to deploy on December 3.

Publisher Konami has been engulfed by complaints from fans due to the long wait for an accurate player roster; the game shipped on September 15, two weeks after the Premier League transfer deadline day, but to-date it does not feature key transfers made during that crucial period. Manchester United's £36 million signing of 19 year-old Monaco forward Anthony Martial, for example, is not reflected in the game. PES's main competitor, FIFA 16, featured an up-to-date player roster on day one of its release.

In early November, Konami issued an apology to fans, which read: "It’s frustrating for the fans, and for the team making the game. We assure everyone that we have learnt from this situation, and confirm designs to improve situations like these are currently being considered for future products."

The publisher went on to say that the update "will also be used to add more content into the game that wasn’t planned at this stage, such as new kits and boots, as well as any other content the time allows."

PES 2016's out-of-date character roster does not affect online game modes, such as MyClub. However, all offline features and modes--such as the centrepiece Master League--is affected.

GameSpot's PES 2016 review praised the game thoroughly, sating that the latest version "represents the best game in the series since the PlayStation 2 era."

However, the PC edition launched with numerous bugs and glitches, leading to a multitude of negative reviews on the game's Steam Page.

Late in November, publisher Konami revealed it has been working on releasing a free-to-play version of PES 2016. It will ship on December 8 for PS4 and PS3, and feature exhibition mode with seven teams, including Bayern Munich, Juventus, AS Roma, Brazil, and France. It is likely that players will need to pay to unlock further modes.