The world of football games is hotting up. While EA’s Fifa series has been gaining on Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) series in recent releases, the battle lines are still firmly drawn between hardcore fans of either franchise. Those lines are to become even wider with the fighting words of PES team leader, Jon Murphy:

“It is all very well for EA to say that FIFA is making great strides, but general opinion suggests that they still have a long way to go before they can match the intuitive and absorbing gameplay of Pro Evolution Soccer. That is not to say that we are resting on our laurels, though. PES 2009 has a vast number of new additions that elevate it far beyond anything anyone else is doing.”

One of the additions is Konami’s recent deal with the UEFA Champions League, which secures the league’s exclusive representation in future PES games for four years. Konami have also secured deals with Premier League clubs Liverpool and Manchester United, allowing the games to represent the players, kits and logos from both teams. Yet another tie-in means that PES 2009 is the official videogame of the England national team.

Improvements over last year’s effort include AI enhancements, a graphical revamp, new control methods and improvements to the online experience. They’ll have to do a lot there to compete with Fifa’s Clubs in Fifa ’09. Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 will be available on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on October 17th across the UK and Europe, while the US gets it on the 28th of October.