Konami has scored a major win over EA by landing Atalanta as an "official video game partner" for the 2021/2022 football season. The deal will see the team's branding used within the upcoming PES 2022 game, and will force EA to have to create a fictional version of the Italian club in the next FIFA.
"As we prepare to unveil the future of the eFootball PES series, I am delighted to announce this exclusive partnership with Atalanta B.C., a truly formidable club with an exciting future at the highest levels of European football," said Naoki Morita, President at Konami Digital Entertainment B.V.. "Working side by side with our Partner Clubs is an important element of our strategy to deliver industry-leading video games to football fans all over the world."
"We are extremely delighted to announce the partnership with KONAMI", said Luca Percassi, Atalanta B.C. CEO. "KONAMI is an international brand that needs no introduction. It represents another important moment of growth for Atalanta".
The deal is regarded as a "long-term, exclusive partnership", although no word has been mentioned as to whether the deal will extend past the 2021/2022 season as of yet.
Konami has also previously announced a partnership with the Italian Football Federation, as well as clubs such as; AS Roma, SS Lazio, and SSC Napoli.
You can check out the trailer for the Atalanta PES announcement below.
