GOALS game release date window, features, and players

The GOALS game release date window is set to keep fans waiting for a while longer. The new game is still early in its development stages, but looks set to break the mould from the football games we have become accustomed to.

While the game won’t be officially licensed in the way EA Sports FC and eFootball are, GOALS will offer something new for football fans. With a free to play model, this game is focused on gamer experience and control, rewarding the best players in competitive modes.

GOALS release date window

In January 2023, the official Twitter account confirmed the GOALS game release date window to be “in the next two years.” This message coincided with the release of the pre-alpha testing period which is only open to a small group of players close to the game.

This message doesn’t really narrow down when we can expect the game to arrive. However, the majority of football games are released around the same time as the start of the European domestic season. This means we could see GOALS released around September 2024.

Watch the GOALS official gameplay pre-alpha gameplay trailer below.

GOALS official announcement trailer

The GOALS official announcement trailer premiered on December 14, 2021. The trailer highlights some of the game’s key selling points, ones that its potential competition can’t quite answer. We also see the slogan “give back football to the gamers” at the end of the video.

Watch the GOALS official announcement trailer below.

Key features

Arguably the most important feature of GOALS is the free to play model it is adopting. Allowing players to access the game for free will lead to more players giving it a go, and who knows, it may become a fan favourite.

GOALS will be crossplay compatible. You will be able to play GOALS with or against anyone, no matter what platform they’re on. Because of this, we may see graphics that don’t compare to the likes of FC 24, but GOALS has a gameplay first focus, rather than aesthetic.

The gameplay focus will also lead GOALS to being a true esports game. The code is built from scratch with the idea to ensure a fluid online experience with minimal lag, latency, or button delay. This should leave competition fair and in your hands.

Lastly, players in GOALS will have the chance to earn their own rewards. There is real monetary value to be found through free gameplay. This includes the trading marketplace, celebrations, cosmetics, and other vanity items.

Players

A completely new concept for us to get our heads round, each player in GOALS will be unique! No licences means there will be no real-life players, teams, or leagues, but there will be a vast database of individual players made with unique DNA.

These new players are generated at random. The DNA will give them unique features and attributes. The more you play GOALS, the more players you will earn for your team. It’s as simple as that.

While each DNA strand is unique and contains player stats, they are linked to real world football. You can get exclusive DNA from real-life players, but like the rest of the process, this will happen at random.

As each player is unique, this means that someone, somewhere, will have the very best player in the game. You have full ownership of your players/assets, and may be able to cash in when the time comes.