Japanese publisher Konami has made the decision to give its flagship football brand a new name.

This year's Pro Evolution Soccer will now be known as eFootball PES 2020, with the firm saying that this is due to a focus on esports and pro-gaming for the title.

“Today’s announcement of eFootball PES 2020 and our new positioning recognises this company’s commitment to the emerging sport of eFootball and progress we’ve made in that direction with previous PES titles," said senior director of brand and business development Jonas Lygaard.

"With Konami's continued investment in the PES League and eFootball.Pro tournaments, plus our dedication to continually raising the bar for football simulation games, we’ve never been more excited for the future of the eFootball PES series.”

Konami built a 12-storey esports centre in Japan to drive pro-gaming in the region in March.

Last year, the firm parted ways with the UEFA Champions League, one of the few big licenses PES boasted.