GOALS Beta - Our First Impressions of the New Multiplayer-Focused Soccer Game

The Open Beta for GOALS, an upcoming F2P football title that promises to favor skill-based gameplay above all else, arrived, and of course, we dove right into it. After all, the game might very well carry the hopes of the whole footballing community on its back.

But did the title deliver on its promises, even while in an in-development state? Well, here are our thoughts on the GOALS Beta after a few days of gameplay.

The Good

Starting with the good, GOALS is, even if featuring identical controls, not EA FC or eFootball. Instead, the title offers a more arcadey experience by focusing on dynamism over simulation, something noticeable from its visual presentation and shot animations, to its approach to extra time. That, however, does not come at the expense of its responsiveness, with matches still being grounded and precise inputs reigning supreme.

Nothing showcases that like its approach to defense, which rewards well-performed reads over AI dependence when at its best. For example, although featuring an auto-tacking mechanic, which sees players automatically steal the ball if standing ahead of holders, the proximity needed to trigger the action demands pinpoint positioning. On the other hand, standard and slide tackles allow you to aggressively go for the ball, even if risking a foul or opening windows for skill moves.

Even if lacking licensing, Goals‘ approach to squad building is also promising, as, believe it or not, stats matter. That means that even if lower-rated, Epic players can outperform even Legendary picks by having the right stats in the right formation. You players can also be upgraded as you advance, which adds another layer to teambuilding and can help you create your own club legends in the long run.

The Bad

Although I have yet to experience connection hiccups or see what many claim to be wrong with the game’s art direction (it’s a free-to-play crossplay title, for God’s sake), my biggest gripe with the beta lay in how inconsistent its gameplay can be. Sometimes, your squad feels like a perfectly oiled machine, with players making the right runs or staying well-positioned. In others, everything seems to go haywire, with your attackers avoiding spaces like the plague, passes becoming unreliable, and your defenders becoming non-existent against runs.

That then causes scorelines to be inflated and conservative formations to be more common, as backlines might open paths to attackers or ball watch during quick counters, even while having a high stat baseline. With that said, it’s important to point out that we experienced the above while trying out an open beta state of the game, and most (if not all) issues are almost guaranteed to be fixed by the time it releases later in 2026.

Final Thoughts

Much like Rematch, GOALS feels like a breath of fresh air to the scene, with its responsiveness and high tempo being solid enough to mitigate even the issues we managed to perceive. My only concern, though, is that the game’s current ”Unforgiving” label and the toxic traits all footballing gaming communities share might make it unapproachable for casual audiences looking to stay long enough to be competitive.

If you haven’t tried it yet, the GOALS open beta will be live until March 22nd on PC (Steam), PS5, and Xbox. Upon release, the game is expected to be available on all the above platforms, as well as on mobile for free.