Stockholm, Sweden, 10 September 2026 — GOALS, the free-to-play competitive football game built around fast, skill-based gameplay, today launches GOALS 2.0.0, the biggest evolution of the game since launch.
Alongside a substantial overhaul of the core football experience, the update comes with plenty of major new features that offer players new ways to experience GOALS. 5v5 Ranked arrives, offering a true 5-a-side experience with its own set of rules compared to traditional 11-a-side, such as blue cards and temporary player disadvantages. Players will now also be able to party up with their friends before taking to the pitch, compete and rank up together
Another brand new addition is The Trial, a fresh way to experience GOALS without diving straight into competitive PvP. Players can team up with AI teammates, battle through multiple rounds and fight their way to the top while earning rewards along the way. For both new and returning players, The Trial delivers a complete tournament experience with unique match flow, presentation and gameplay rules.
GOALS 2.0.0 builds on the foundations of the game with a renewed focus on responsive gameplay, meaningful player control and a deeper competitive experience. The update also introduces hundreds of improvements across passing, movement, defending, AI, matchmaking and progression.
“We’re incredibly excited to introduce GOALS 2.0.0 and take the game to the next level. From the beginning, our vision has been to create a football experience that puts gameplay first. Following feedback from the community, the team has been hard at work to build further on that vision in ways we’re incredibly proud of” shares Andreas Throsentensson, CEO of GOALS. “With GOALS 2.0.0, the gameplay is more responsive, engaging and competitive than ever, giving players a deeper and more rewarding football experience. The introduction of 5v5 Ranked is a huge part of that, offering fast, competitive matches that are easy to party up with your friends. We believe it’s the kind of experience that will give our existing players new reasons to return to the pitch, while also giving new players an exciting opportunity to discover GOALS for the first time. This is a major step forward for the game, and we can’t wait for our community to experience what we’ve built.”
Some of the biggest updates to GOALS 2.0.0 are:
-
5v5 Ranked: Competitive team football arrives in GOALS, with parties, dedicated gameplay rules and a ranked progression system built around every player controlling their own character.
-
The Trial: A new solo tournament experience, giving players a fresh way to compete alongside AI teammates, progress and earn rewards.
-
A new way into GOALS: A fully redesigned onboarding system that includes chained tutorial scenarios, dynamic instructions, contextual HUD elements and clearer success feedback.
-
Smarter football: Substantial AI improvements across positioning, attacking runs, defensive organisation, set pieces and 5v5 team play.
-
More to play for: New challenges, rewards and progression systems, including expanded Swaps, which give players new ways to use their existing collection.
-
A more refined online experience: Improved matchmaking, connectivity, party functionality and the ability to rejoin matches after disconnecting.
Available on PS5, Xbox Series S/X and PC, GOALS is the free-to-play competitive online football title built from the ground up as the next evolution of football gaming. With full cross-platform support, the game ushers in a new era of responsive, fair and entirely skill-based gameplay, bringing players together worldwide in a truly competitive football experience. For more information, visit the official GOALS website: playgoals.com.
Ends
Please reach out to The Story Mob at goals@thestorymob.com for any media requests.
GOALS is a game studio dedicated to creating competitive, inclusive experiences that players actually want. Built on an inherent understanding of games and an experienced team immersed in the community it serves, each decision is guided by developer intuition, user data and player feedback.
Founded by Andreas Thorstensson and based in Stockholm, GOALS is built by a team with experience from some of the world’s leading games, technology and esports companies, bringing together deep expertise across gameplay, live services, technology and competitive gaming."
Its first entry, GOALS, is changing the world of football by developing a game from the ground up for competitive play that puts skill, gameplay, and the beauty of the game firmly back in the hands of the player.
Follow Goals at:
TikTok: @playgoals
X (Twitter): @PlayGOALS
Discord: @GOALS
Instagram: @goalsfreetoplay
Twitch: @GOALS
YouTube:@playgoals