Gareth Bale is the cover star of Konami's UEFA EURO 2016

Konami Digital Entertainment has announced that Gareth Bale, the Real Madrid and Welsh international winger, is to be the cover star for its officially licensed UEFA EURO 2016 title.

Bale, who shone for the Wales national team during their European Qualifiers campaign, will grace the packaging and promotional materials of Konami’s official game of the UEFA EURO 2016 tournament. The game will be released via physical and digital stand alone editions on April 21st for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3. Existing PES 2016 users on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows PC will receive the dedicated UEFA EURO 2016 content as a free DLC on March 24th. Those that purchase the stand alone game will also have a chance of obtaining Bale via the bonus content for myClub. myClub is a phenomenally popular option within PES 2016, that allows users to use accrued points or in-game micro-transactions to build a title-winning side and lead them to glory. Those purchasing the physical copy of the UEFA EURO 2016 title will receive exclusive myClub rewards, including access to a special Ambassador Agent, seven special Euro agents giving them seven players representing the 24 qualified teams, and 10,000GP each week for 10 weeks. The Real Madrid winger is an integral part of the Spanish La Liga side, and his pace and skills will also be on show in France as he lines up as part of the Wales squad. Bale was key to helping Wales qualify, and he and Wales will be faithfully recreated – complete with official kits – within Konami’s UEFA EURO 2016 title. Europe’s premier international competition will be held in France this summer and sees 24 teams gather for initial group matches before progressing to knock-out stages. Qualified teams from all over Europe will compete for the coveted Henri Delaunay Cup, with the first game played on June 10th, and the final taking place in France’s stunning Stade de France a month later on July 10th. During this time, 50 matches will be played, showcasing Europe’s greatest football talent. Konami’s official UEFA EURO 2016 title will be automatically added to PES 2016’s main menu screen, while the disc-based release will contain both the full PES 2016 game and UEFA EURO 2016 content. UEFA EURO 2016 will feature full iconography and presentation elements from this year’s tournament, and also includes the Stade de France stadium, which hosts the final in July. All squads will also be in line with those of the qualifying nations with the various playing styles perfectly replicated via the game’s innovative Player ID and Team ID systems, which mimic the exact playing styles of both individual players and the team as a whole.

“Gareth Bale is one of the hottest properties in world football, so we are delighted that he is the face of our UEFA EURO 2016 content for PES 2016,” stated Erik Bladinieres, European Brand Director of Football for Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. “His skill and ability make him the perfect fit for a game that will showcase the capabilities of Europe’s greatest national sides. He will be integral to Wales during the competition, and we are delighted that he will be gracing the packaging and in-game content of our UEFA EURO 2016 content.”