How to Install PES 2021 Mods on PC — Complete Beginner Guide (2026)

How to Install PES 2021 Mods on PC — Complete Beginner Guide (2025)

By MrRealMod June 22, 2026 PES 2021 • Mods • PC Guide
If you've just downloaded PES 2021 and want to make it look and feel like the current season — with updated kits, real player faces, accurate transfers, and stadium atmosphere — you're in the right place. This complete beginner guide will walk you through exactly how to install PES 2021 mods on PC, step by step, even if you've never done it before.
PES 2021 Mods PC Beginner Option File Sider 2025


What Are PES 2021 Mods?

Mods (short for modifications) are files created by the gaming community that change or improve the game. In PES 2021, mods can update player faces to look like real footballers, add the latest 2024–2025 season kits for every team, fix player names and nationalities, add real stadium names, and even improve the game's graphics and crowd sounds.

The base game from Konami stopped receiving official updates after the 2021 season. That's why the modding community is so important — dedicated mod creators work every month to keep PES 2021 feeling current. As of 2025, you can still play PES 2021 with fully updated squads, faces, and kits for the 2024–2025 season, all thanks to mods.

There are three main types of mods you'll encounter as a beginner:

  • Option Files — update squads, kits, player stats, and team data
  • Facepacks — replace low-quality player faces with real photo-realistic ones
  • Sider + cpk mods — add advanced modifications like stadium sounds, referee kits, ball packs, and more

What You Need Before You Start

Before installing any mods, make sure you have the following ready on your PC:

  • PES 2021 installed — either through Steam or a standalone install
  • Smoke Patch 21 (SP21) v4.5 or later — this is the base patch that makes option files work properly. Download it from the Smoke Patch website
  • WinRAR or 7-Zip — to extract downloaded mod files (both are free)
  • Sider — a free tool that allows advanced mods to run alongside PES 2021
  • Enough storage space — facepacks especially can be large (2–5 GB total)
Tip: Always create a backup of your existing save folder before installing any mod. Your save folder is usually found at:
Documents > KONAMI > eFootball PES 2021 > [your ID number] > save

Step-by-Step: How to Install an Option File

An option file (OF) is the most important mod for PES 2021. It updates all the team and player data in the game. Here's how to install one correctly:

1 Download the option file

Find a reliable option file from a trusted source. On this blog, we regularly share updated option files. Download the file — it will usually be a .zip or .rar archive.

2 Extract the file

Right-click the downloaded archive and choose "Extract here" using WinRAR or 7-Zip. Inside you'll find a file named EDIT00000000 — this is the main option file.

3 Find your PES 2021 save folder

Open File Explorer and navigate to:
C:\Users\YourName\Documents\KONAMI\eFootball PES 2021\[your ID folder]\save
You will see your existing EDIT00000000 file here.

4 Replace the file

Copy the new EDIT00000000 from your extracted folder and paste it into your save folder. When Windows asks if you want to replace the existing file, click Yes.

5 Launch PES 2021 and verify

Start the game and go to Edit Mode. Check a team like Liverpool or Real Madrid — if you see updated 2024–2025 kits and the correct squad, the option file is working perfectly.

Important: If you see player data reset or kits gone after a game restart, it means your save folder path was wrong. Double-check that you placed the file in the correct ID-numbered folder, not a different one.

How to Install Sider for Advanced Mods

Sider is a tool that runs alongside PES 2021 and allows you to load advanced mods like facepacks, ball packs, stadium sounds, and kitserver files. Without Sider, many of the best mods simply won't work.

  1. Download Sider from a trusted gaming mod site (we share the latest version here on RealMod)
  2. Extract the Sider folder to anywhere on your PC — many people put it directly in the PES 2021 game folder for convenience
  3. Open the sider.ini file with Notepad and make sure the game.exe path points to your PES 2021 exe file
  4. Run sider.exe before you launch PES 2021 — you'll see a small icon appear in your system tray confirming it's active
  5. Now launch PES 2021 as normal — Sider will automatically load all mods placed in its content folder

How to Install Facepacks

Facepacks replace the default cartoon-like player faces in PES 2021 with real photo-realistic faces for hundreds of players. They make a huge difference to how the game looks.

To install a facepack, you need Sider running (see above). Once Sider is set up, it's simple:

  1. Download the facepack — these are usually split into multiple parts (Part 1, Part 2, etc.)
  2. Extract all parts into a single folder
  3. Copy the extracted face folders into: Sider > content > livecpk-faces
  4. Make sure Sider is running, then launch PES 2021 — the new faces will load automatically
Pro tip: Install facepacks in batches rather than all at once. This makes it easier to troubleshoot if something goes wrong. Start with Premier League faces first, then add other leagues gradually.

Common Problems and How to Fix Them

Problem: The game crashes when I launch it with Sider
This usually means Sider can't find your PES 2021 exe file. Open sider.ini, find the line that starts with exe.path, and make sure it points exactly to your pes2021.exe location. Also try running Sider as Administrator.
Problem: Option file installed but squads are wrong
After installing an option file, you need to go into Edit Mode in-game and manually apply any club transfers. Some option files require you to move players to their new clubs manually the first time you load them. This is normal — it only needs to be done once.
Problem: Faces are not showing for some players
Not every player has a face in every facepack. Popular leagues like the Premier League and Champions League teams have the most coverage. Lesser-known league players may still use the default face. This is a limitation of the modding community's work, not an installation error.
Problem: Kits look wrong or show the old design
Kit mods are separate from option files. Make sure you have a kitpack installed via Sider in addition to the option file. Check our kit download posts on this blog for the latest 2024–2025 season kits.

Final Tips for PES 2021 Modding

  • Always download mods from trusted sources — random sites can bundle malware with mod files
  • Keep a backup of your EDIT00000000 file before every major update
  • Join the PES 2021 modding community on forums and Telegram groups — the community is very helpful for beginners
  • Update your option file regularly — we post new updates every month on RealMod with the latest transfers
  • If something goes wrong, simply restore your backup EDIT file and start again — nothing is permanent

Ready to start? Download the latest PES 2021 option file for the 2024–2025 season from RealMod and follow this guide to get your game fully updated today.

Browse all PES 2021 downloads

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