GOALS 2.0.0 Takes Free-To-Play Game Pass Football To The Next Level
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GOALS is kicking off a new chapter today as GOALS 2.0.0 arrives with the biggest overhaul the free-to-play football game has received since launch. The update brings 5v5 Ranked into the mix, adds a brand-new tournament experience and makes hundreds of changes across the football itself, matchmaking and progression.
Available now on Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PC, GOALS continues to offer full cross-platform play, with the latest update designed to give both competitive players and newcomers more reasons to get onto the pitch.
At A Glance
- Game: GOALS
- Update: 2.0.0
- Developer/Publisher: GOALS
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PC
- Price: Free-to-play
5v5 Ranked Changes The Shape Of GOALS
The headline addition is undoubtedly 5v5 Ranked, giving GOALS a faster team-based alternative to its traditional football formats.
Players can now party up with friends before taking to the pitch, with each person controlling their own character. The mode also introduces its own rules, including blue cards and temporary player disadvantages, while a dedicated ranking system gives teams something to fight for beyond simply winning the next match.
For a game that has been putting competitive play at the centre of its identity, this could prove to be one of the more significant additions yet.
The Trial Offers Something Different
Not everyone wants to jump straight into competitive PvP, however, and that’s where The Trial comes in.
This new tournament experience lets players team up with AI-controlled teammates and battle through multiple rounds in pursuit of rewards. It has its own match flow, presentation and rules, providing a more structured way to experience GOALS without immediately throwing yourself into the online competitive scene.
It should also give returning players another reason to dip back into the game when they’re not in the mood for ranked matches.
Hundreds of Changes Under the Hood
GOALS 2.0.0 isn’t just about adding new modes. The update also makes sweeping changes to the foundations of the game, with improvements to passing, movement, defending, AI, matchmaking and progression.
The onboarding experience has been rebuilt too, using tutorial scenarios, contextual instructions and clearer feedback to make GOALS easier to understand for those arriving for the first time.
AI players have received attention across the board, including positioning, attacking runs, defensive organisation, set pieces and 5v5 team play. Online improvements should also make it easier to find and stay in matches, with enhanced connectivity, party functionality and the ability to rejoin games after disconnecting.
More Reasons to Keep Playing
GOALS 2.0.0 also expands its progression systems with new challenges and rewards, including expanded Swaps that provide additional ways to make use of an existing player collection.
It’s another step towards the game’s wider ambition of creating a competitive football platform rather than simply another annual football release. We took an early look at whether GOALS could provide a genuinely worthwhile free-to-play alternative in our launch piece, and the latest update gives the team another opportunity to build on those foundations.
We’ve also previously covered the game’s growing esports ambitions, with GOALS clearly positioning competitive play as a major part of its future.
With 5v5 Ranked now available, The Trial providing a new route into the game and hundreds of refinements affecting the football itself, GOALS 2.0.0 feels like considerably more than a routine update.
GOALS 2.0.0 is available now on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PC. The game is free-to-play with full cross-platform support. Just head to the digital store of your choosing, like that of the Xbox Store.
- Tags
- Game Pass
- pc
- PC Game Pass
- play anywhere
- Playstation 5
- Xbox Game Pass
- Xbox Series X