PES 2021 could only be released as DLC for PES 2020 and not as a standalone game. The news has been pre-announced by a page on the Microsoft Store
PES 2021 will be a simple DLC of PES 2020, i.e. an update that users can buy and download if they already own last year's game. The news has not yet been confirmed by Konami, but the unofficial announcement comes from the Microsoft store where there is already an official page announcing the release of the PES 2021 DLC. What does this change imply? It's unlikely that the 2021 version will have new game modes or an important graphical change.
With the release of PES 2021 in the form of DLC there will be an update of the roses, perhaps some new stadium and little more. Certainly there will be Inter and Milan with their official names: as announced last week, the partnership between the two teams and Konami Milan has expired and has not been renewed. Still present, instead, Juventus, since the agreement signed with the Japanese company was multi-year. Doubts also on what will happen for the next gen version: Fifa has already announced that there will be an ad hoc version for PS5 and Xbox One X and PES 2021 can not be outdone.
PES 2021 goodbye, will come only the DLC
A choice that is potentially able to change the video game market, at least with regard to football simulation. The sector is dominated by two titles: Pro Evolution Soccer and Fifa. Fifa has an almost total control of the market and only in recent years PES has managed to regain the trust of fans. Now, however, things could get more complicated for Konami's game.
PES 2021, in fact, could be released only as DLC and not as a stand-alone video game. DLC stands for downloadable content and it's updates that are released from time to time by software houses. It's a commercial strategy that's used a lot in role-playing games and that until now has never been tried in the world of sports games.
There's no official confirmation yet, but the page created on Microsoft's store doesn't seem to leave any doubt: PES 2021 will be a DLC.
We'll have to see, though, what will happen with the title for next gen consoles. Konami will hardly decide to release a title ad hoc, especially since Pro Evolution Soccer is celebrating its twenty-fifth year.