Coutinho leads PES 2019 game cover

Philippe Coutinho in a promotional screenshot for PES 2019. — AFP Relaxnews

Barcelona's Brazilian star forward Philippe Coutinho has been announced as the cover athlete for soccer simulation PES 2019 ahead of an Aug 30 release on PS4, XBO and PC.

This year's round of promotion for the Pro Evolution Soccer franchise will be led by Philippe Coutinho of Barcelona FC.

Coutinho's previous team, Liverpool, is featured in an early promotional image for PES 2019, as are Bundesliga high fliers Borussia Dortmund.

Further PES 2019 partnerships are indicated by stadium shots of River Plate's El Monumental and AC Milan as well as Internazionale's shared San Siro.

Those official club partnerships, plus "more fully licensed leagues" promised by Konami's press release, are crucial arrows in the PES quiver given the loss of the UEFA Champions League license. However, the International Champions Cup remains in place and elements of it will be implemented into the game's Master League mode.

A new negotiation system and realistic transfers are set for that season-by-season mode, while the addition of new skill traits, visible fatigue and new shooting mechanics that account for ball physics, player and ball positioning, and player shot styles are all part of the package.

Card-based myClub has also undergone a revamp, per Konami, which is to shadow real-world performances more closely as the publisher looks to compete with EA's lucrative FIFA Ultimate Team mode and mobile spin-off.

Retired England midfielder David Beckham, who went from Manchester United to Barcelona rivals Real Madrid, then LA Galaxy, Milan and Paris Saint Germain before founding a Miami-based Major League Soccer team, fronts the PES 2019 David Beckham Edition at retail as well as the game's downloadable Legends Edition.

FIFA 19 has not yet been dated but usually releases during the last week of September. — AFP Relaxnews