Updates

• Cases: open cases with the coins you earn in matches and win goal explosions, name banners, avatar frames, card backgrounds and more. Five cases to choose from: Kit Bag, Locker, Derby Crate, Trophy Chest and Legends Vault.
• Every chance on show: each case lists every item inside and the chance of getting it. If you get an item you already own, you get half of its shop price back in coins.
• Open up to 3 at once: pick ×1, ×2 or ×3 and watch the reels spin together. Or buy a case now and open it later from your Inventory.
• Free cases: a free daily case every 24 hours, plus one-time cases for following NextBall on Discord, Instagram, X, YouTube and TikTok.
• Gift a case: send any case to a friend by their username.
• Level rewards: click your level on the main menu to see what each level gives and claim it. Already past a level? You can still claim it.
• Case challenges: some live challenges now give a case as the prize. You will find them on the Cases page too.

• Monthly gift calendar: every day of the month has its own gift. Log in and open today's box from the Daily Gift button; it opens by itself on your first visit of the day.
• Miss a day, lose only that day: nothing resets. The rest of the month's gifts are still waiting for you.
• Item days: days 7, 14, 21 and 28 give a shop item you don't own yet: a card background, a name banner, a goal explosion and an avatar frame.
• Perfect month: open every gift of the month without missing a day and get 500 coins plus the Pixel Burst goal explosion.

• Every match is rated: casual is gone. Every match against people counts for your rank, guests, uneven teams and short matches included. Only matches with bots don't count.
• Guests keep their progress: play as a guest and your MMR adds up match after match. Create a free account (after a match or when you leave the room) and it's yours, plus 100 coins.
• Lob cut in the goal: cutting a lob while standing in the goal now counts as a goal right away, no need to drag the ball out and back in.
• Lob cut at the edge: cutting a lob while standing past a side line or in a corner no longer puts the ball through the wall; it stays on the pitch.

• Japan (new mode): free for all. Every player owns a goal on a ring-shaped pitch (2 to 13 players). Let in too many and you are out, the pitch shrinks and your goal is gone. Last one standing wins. The winner starts the next round one goal ahead (-1, -2 on a streak) and in black. Curve yes, lob no. The room admin sets the goals to go out, ball speed and player speed.
• Japan rank: Japan has its own MMR and leaderboard. Your MMR moves with your place in the round, against everyone you played.
• Rated by default: every public room is rated whenever the line-up is fair (an account on each side, even teams, no bots). Password rooms can still play casual.
• Guests welcome in rated: any number of guests can play in a rated match. They count as a 1000 MMR opponent. A guest who wins can sign up right on the result screen and keep the win.
• Last 30 days: new leaderboards next to the menu: most goals, assists, saves and the longest goal in Classic, Futsal, Real Match, Sniper, Chaos and Japan (casual and rated matches against people).
• Match stats: after a Classic, Futsal or Real Match game: possession, passes, shots, saves and a shot map.
• Controllers in the menus: move through every menu and page with a controller, with an on-screen keyboard.
• Host drops: a room no longer closes the moment its host loses the connection; the host has a minute to come back.
• The big PLAY ONLINE button now opens Create room.

• Smarter bots: triangles around the ball, the easy pass offered when you are pressed in the corner, one-twos and the drop, bank passes off the wall and lobs over the defence. The other forward goes inside instead of crowding your corner, and nobody waits in front of goal when the ball has to be cleared.
• Lob switch: the room admin can switch lobs off for the whole room (Classic, Futsal, Real Match), next to 3 DEF in the lobby. Off means off: Q does nothing.
• Avatars: /avatar now takes up to 2 letters, signs or emoji (e.g. /avatar SK, /avatar <3, two emoji), as well as numbers.

• Any controller: Xbox, PlayStation or any USB / Bluetooth controller works straight away: plug it in and press a button. The keyboard keeps working too.
• Layout: left stick moves, A / X kick, B soft touch, Y lob, LB sprint, RB lunge, LT / RT curve. The middle buttons open the room lobby and pause.
• Quick chat in one tap: each D-pad direction sends its line at once (pick the lines in Settings › Quick chat).
• Settings › Controller: put any action on any button, set the stick dead zone, switch vibration on or off.

• Bots play as a team: the last man no longer waits in goal. He stays close behind the team, steps up past halfway as the deep playmaker when you have the ball (passes out wide, tries a shot through a gap) and drops back step by step when the other team attacks. Works in 2v2, 3v3 and 4v4.
• 3 DEF: the barred player can no longer stay behind the line to defend: he is walked back out to it. Bots know the rule and wait in front of the line.
• Watch Replay has a new look on the home screen.

• Guests in rated rooms: up to one guest per team. The match counts for every player with an account; a guest counts as a 1000 MMR player. Opponents on the same network or device: not rated.
• Sign up after the match: a guest gets a quick sign-up box on the result screen. Create the account within 10 minutes and that win counts for you too.
• No rejoin: your new name shows in the room at once.

• Invite friends: an invite button after every match, and your invite code on the bottom of your goal clips. New bonuses: +50 coins at 3 friends, +150 at 10, +400 at 25.
• Cups: teammates you add now get an invite and must accept before the cup starts. Any player can leave their team during sign-ups.
• Controls: every key press now reaches the host on the fastest path, with a backup copy, so taps are not lost on a bad line.
• Safety: titles are checked by the server, and room hosts can no longer send anything but game data to players.

• Smoother matches: the host now sends each player about a third of the data it used to. Fewer lag spikes in full rooms, on Wi-Fi and on mobile data, and a host with slow upload can carry a bigger room. Weak phones also stutter less.
• Ping: the number next to each player is now the real network round trip to the host.
• Rated MMR (from your feedback): matches with the same line-up on the same day count as one series, so the order of wins and losses no longer decides your MMR. A win never takes MMR away.

• Goal clips: after a match in Classic, Futsal, Real Match and rated rooms, the best 3 goals are ready as videos. Tap 9:16 (TikTok, Shorts, Reels) or 16:9 (YouTube): the video is made right over the room and downloads, you never leave the room. Missed it? Highlights in the lobby opens them again until the next match ends.
• CATCH (from your feedback): lobs were too hard to stop. Press X right as a lob passes over you: an opponent's lob is cut (LOB CUT!), a teammate's lob is caught out of the air (CATCH!).
• The clock waits: at every kick-off, after a goal too, the clock stands still until the ball is touched. In every football mode and on custom maps.
• Phones: a new room lobby. Team cards with full names; tap a player to move him to Red, Blue or Spectators (or make him captain, admin, kick); big - / + for time and score; Start at the bottom.
• Keeper training: shots are never harder than a player of that mode can strike.

• Map Editor (beta): make your own map with walls, obstacles, text on the pitch, colours and physics, test it alone, and save it as a .nbm file. Open it from Map Editor in the top menu.
• Custom maps in rooms: the host presses Load next to Stadium › Pick. Classic, Futsal, Real Match and Chaos rooms, never rated. /store keeps the room's map in your browser so it shows in Pick later. Nothing is uploaded.
• Joining rooms: a message lost between you and the host no longer costs 20 seconds or a failed join: it is sent again within 3 seconds.
• Short drops: if your connection to our server drops for a moment, you stay in the room and the match goes on. A host's short drop no longer closes the room.
• Keeper training: alone in a room, press T and stand in a goal. Shots come at you from in front of the goal: ground, curling or lobbed, slow to hard, corners or anywhere. The ball waits on its spot for a moment so you can take your position. Works in every football mode, with that mode's ball.
• Map Editor Test opens your map in a room of your own in the real game. Maps can also be made for Real Match (throw-ins, corners and offside follow your pitch).
• Phones: Live Challenges show two cards at a time; swipe for more.

• Thank you: players from 51 countries have connected to NextBall, 2,791 so far.
• Title challenges now show in Live Challenges on the home page, drawn in the title's own style, with your progress and the spots left. The cards stay on one row and get smaller as more open.
• Real Match: during throw-ins, corners, goal kicks and free kicks you keep your extrapolation, so the taker no longer slows down.
• Phones: the chat has a close button (and tapping the bar at the top closes it too). First-time players no longer get other windows on top of the tutorial.

• Headless rooms: run your own always-on room on your own computer or server, driven by a script (welcome messages, auto teams, your own commands). Get a token and the guide on Headless rooms.
• Phones: Settings > Controls opacity makes the joystick and the buttons more see-through (or more solid).
• Pause stops everything at once, also during throw-ins, corners, free kicks and offside replays, and in golden goal.
• /kit off takes every kit off (/kit on puts your own back). Esc over a match shows a single chat.
• Connections: players reach the room's host faster and more reliably; the host's connection label no longer shows Poor on a fast line.

• Thank you: NextBall has 100 registered players. The first 100 get the Founding 100 banner, the BETA PLAYER title and 1,000 coins.
• Numbered: every Founding 100 banner carries its owner's number in sign-up order (#001 is the oldest account). It shows next to your name in the room list.
• Never sold: the banner and the title cannot be bought. Equip them from your Inventory; the Shop shows the banner under Banners.

• Its own page: the Shop is now a full page (nextballz.com/shop.html) instead of a window: featured items up top, deals of the day with a countdown, then every goal explosion, banner, avatar, frame, card background and name colour, with search, rarity filters and sorting.
• Mythic goal explosions: scroll through the eight Mythic explosions and the clip plays as you scroll.
• Try before you buy: open any item to see it big: explosions with their sound, banners with your name, avatars and frames on your own profile card. Buying asks once more before it spends your coins.
• One coin: the NextBall coin now shows everywhere coins are, and the menus, chat and match calls use our own icons and tags.

• Team rankings: when every player on your side is in your team (2 or more) and you play other players, casual or rated, the match counts for the team: wins, draws, losses and goals. The top teams are on the home page, the full table on the Teams page, and the room chat tells you when a team match counted.
• Cut a lob: a lob still flies over players, but if it goes right over you, press X at the right moment and it drops at your feet. Holding X does not work, it has to be timed. A defender right next to the shooter can block a chip the same way.
• 3 DEF rule (beta): Classic rooms on Big / Big Easy (3v3, 4v4) can switch it on in the room settings. While a team attacks past the centre circle, the other team's most advanced player can't cross the line at the back of the attackers' 3rd man; a touch by his own team lifts it. It is still in testing: tell us if something looks wrong.
• Connections: players now link straight to the room host far more often, and a link that drops tries again by itself, so fewer players go through our server and matches run smoother.
• Fixes: switching a room from Basketball, Volleyball or Headball to Chaos no longer leaves a grey pitch. A fast shot can no longer go through a wall on any map. Goal explosions no longer darken the pitch, and the home page keeps its size after you leave a room.

• Kit codes: only the captain needs to type the code now. The captain is the top player of the side in the room list (marked with a C), and the whole side plays in that kit.
• Chat off: the chat button at the top right of a match closes the chat completely and the pitch takes its space. Enter still opens a chat box over the pitch. Also in Settings → Chat in matches.
• Phones: pick a Fixed or Free joystick in Settings (Free jumps under your thumb). Move & resize lets you drag the joystick and every button where you want them and make each one bigger or smaller.
• Zoom: Real Match and Futsal get five closer zoom steps on keys 6, 7, 8, 9 and 0 (and Ctrl + wheel goes further in).
• Dragging the lobby chat up no longer pushes it to the left.

Live challenges and deals of the day arrive, events can be run for a community, and the kick key is back where most players expect it.

• Live challenges: boosts and goals for a mode and a format, for a few hours or days: double coins, XP or MMR, "every 5 wins: 500 coins", or "reach 20 wins in Classic 1v1" to get a shop item. Everyone online is told when one starts (also in a match); the live ones are on the home page, and in a room of that mode the progress shows at the top with a picture of the prize. Progress counts in matches against other players.
• Deals of the day: a set of discounted items, plus some you can get for free by playing (e.g. play 10 Classic matches). They open in a window when you come to the site and sit at the top of the shop. Shop items can also be on sale on their own or by category: the old price is shown struck through.
• Community events: events can belong to a partner community: open to everyone with the event link, or only to the community's members, and hosted by the community owner.
• Futsal x7: a big futsal court for up to 11v11: walls all round (no throw-ins, no corners), small goals and the small yellow ball. Pick Court size → x7.
• Ball size: Futsal and Real Match rooms choose a small or a big ball, when creating the room or in its settings between games.
• Lunge (Real Match): press E for a sudden slide the way you are heading to cut the ball out. You cannot kick while sliding and need a moment to get up; the next lunge is ready after 2.5 seconds. The key can be changed in Settings → Controls; on phones there is a Slide button.
• Controls: Space kicks again (together with X) and Ctrl is the soft touch (dribble). Players who kept the old default keys are switched automatically; your own key setup stays as you made it.

NextBall now runs events: tournament rooms with a start time, a set format and prizes for the top three. The next event shows at the top of the home page with a countdown.

• Any format: 1v1 up to 11v11, in Classic, Futsal, Sniper, Ice Hockey, Basketball, Headball, Real Match or Chaos.
• Entries: the room opens 15 minutes before the start. Join from the home page and stay in the room. Entries close when the event starts; if you are late, wait for the next one.
• Winners stay on: teams are made automatically. The side that wins stays on the pitch; the losers go to the back of the queue (or, in knockout events, are out). The event panel in the room shows the time left, the queue, the leaderboard and the prizes.
• Play with your team: "Join with your team" lets you pick team-mates from your NextBall team, and you always play on the same side. Friends in a party are put together too.
• Prizes: coins and shop items for 1st, 2nd and 3rd: most wins takes it, a longer winning streak breaks ties. Prizes are added to your account when the event ends.

Design your own kit in the new Kit Maker. Every power in Chaos and Headball now plays a full 3D effect with its own sound, and there are 13 new powers. The shop gets a new top tier of banners, and bots learn to play as a team.

• Kit Maker (main menu): 18 patterns (stripes, hoops, pinstripes, sash, chevron, fade, checks, shards, halftone and more), any colours, trim, number colour and collar, with a live shirt and players on the pitch. Team kits: the owner designs one; in a room, when every player on your side is in your team, any member puts it on for the whole room to see, and it comes off by itself if someone else joins your side. My kit: your player wears it when you are the only player on your side (1v1, or with bots); with teammates a side always looks like one team, in its team kit or plain red / blue. Kit codes: every design gets a short code (like K7X2QM). The captain of a side (its top player in the room list) types it in the room chat (or /kit K7X2QM) and the whole side plays in that kit. /kit off takes it off. Settings → Custom kits → Off shows everyone in plain red and blue.
• New Chaos powers: Singularity (a black hole that pulls everything in), Meteor, Quake, Blink, Nitro, Chain Lightning, Aegis (a bubble the ball bounces off), Time Warp (a slow-motion zone), Inferno (a fire trail) and Boomerang. New Headball powers: Super Jump, Quake and Thunder. Bots in Chaos now use their powers too.
• Mythic banners: Supernova, Abyss, Stormcaller, Hologram, Phoenix and Singularity, each a small animated scene behind your name. Plus 10 new avatars, 8 frames (up to the Mythic Event Horizon) and 8 animated card backgrounds (up to the Mythic Supernova).
• Smarter bots: one bot presses the ball, one covers, the keeper stays home and the rest keep their places. Every bot has a playing style: Finisher, Playmaker, Dribbler, Anchor or All-rounder. Add up to 11 bots at once and remove them as fast as you like.
• Rooms: Create Room now offers Real Match and Chaos, a room can switch to either from the lobby, and you pick the Real Match pitch (Small, Medium or Large) when you create the room or in the lobby. In Real Match, keys 6, 7 and 8 bring the camera closer.
• Smoother Chaos: the power effects get ready in the lobby and draw on top of the pitch instead of copying it, so several powers at once no longer freeze the game, and the pitch keeps its colour. A power can no longer push the ball off the pitch.
• Chat: hold the handle on top of the chat and drag up to read older messages; let go and it shrinks back.
• Fixes: on phones the chat closes when you tap the pitch or put the keyboard away. In Pool the ball now goes exactly where the aim line shows. Pressing Shift in an empty match chat (for / or ?) no longer closes it.

The goal explosion shop goes from 21 to 50 explosions, each with its own sound. On top sits a new tier, Mythic: explosions that take over the whole pitch, play out in several acts and end in a finale.

• Mythic (15,000 coins): Kraken, Stadium Blackout, Thunder Titan, Lava Pitch, Time Freeze, Portal Storm, Ice Age, Comet Rain.
• Legendary (4,500): Phoenix Rise, Tsunami, Aurora, Dragon Breath, Crowd Wave · Epic (1,500): Plasma Core, Twister, Rift, Laser Grid, Volcano, Hologram.
• Rare (700): Bubble Pop, Sakura, Paint Splash, Sandstorm, Disco · Common (300): Flash Bang, Leaf Burst, Water Splash, Glitter, Star Pop.
• Every explosion has a live preview with sound in Shop → Goal explosions. Older device? Settings → Goal explosions → Lite.

Table Tennis now has a second way to play: a side view of the table, like Volleyball. You see the ball's height, the arc over the net and every bounce. Pick View → Side view or Top view when you create a Table Tennis room. Side view is the default.

• Real spin: loops dip and kick forward off the table, pushes float and check up, and a ball that sits up high over the net can be smashed.
• Controls: arrows move your bat, X drives, Q loops (topspin), Ctrl pushes (backspin). As you hit, towards the net goes deeper, down hits faster, up plays safer.
• Full rules: games to 11, two serves each, lets and deuce, the same as the top view. The top view still plays singles and doubles.

Score and the goal blows up. Every player now has a 3D goal explosion that plays at the goal when they score, for everyone in the room: fireballs, lightning, black holes, meteors, gold coins and more. Find them in the Shop under Goal explosions, each with a live preview.

• 20 explosions: Common (300 coins): Confetti Cannon, Spark Shower, Smoke Bomb · Rare (700): Fireworks, Frostbite, Earthshaker, Neon Pulse · Epic (1,500): Thunderstrike, Inferno, Black Hole, Meteor, Pixel Burst · Legendary (4,000): Supernova, Cosmos, Golden Glory, Ground Zero.
• Earned, never sold: Champion's Crown for reaching Champion in any rated mode this season and Starfall at level 40. Everyone gets Kick-Off for free.
• Smooth play: the explosion only loads when it is needed and plays during the goal pause. Settings → Goal explosions: Full, Lite (for older phones and laptops) or Off.

Almost everyone plays in rooms, so the rank moved there. Ranked matchmaking is switched off; instead every room is Rated by default and every mode has its own rank and leaderboard: Classic, Futsal, Real Match, Sniper, Headball, Pool, Ice Hockey, Basketball, Volleyball, Tennis and Table Tennis. Chaos and Mini Golf stay just for fun.

• When it counts: even teams, no bots, no guests, the same line-up from kick-off to the final whistle and a normal end. The lobby tells you before kick-off. Leaving a rated match counts as a loss.
• Your rank: your old ranked MMR is now your Classic rank. Every other mode starts with 5 placement matches. Leaderboards have a tab per mode, and the top 3 of each mode get a #1 / #2 / #3 tag in rooms.
• Rewards: rated wins pay 3x the coins of a casual win and x1.25 XP, Friday nights from 20:00 (Turkey time) are Rated Night with double coins, and at the end of the season every rank pays coins, plus a bonus for the top 3 of every mode.
• Fair ranks: replaying the exact same line-up counts less each time on the same day (one different player makes it a fresh match), opponents on the same network or device do not count and every player can gain at most 200 MMR per mode per day. Every player's browser confirms the score and the server replays every rated match to check it.
• Casual rooms: just want to play with friends? Switch the room to Casual and nothing changes your rank. Read the rank guide.

You asked for it: a full table tennis mode on an ITTF table, in a competition hall with surrounds, an umpire's scoreboard and a crowd. Singles or doubles, with bots. Pick Table Tennis under Game modes.

• Strokes: hold X to drive, Q loops with heavy topspin, Ctrl pushes with backspin, Z/C add sidespin and a ball high over the table is smashed. Aim with the arrows as you hit.
• Real spin: drive into heavy backspin and the ball drags into the net, push a topspin ball and it pops up. Topspin kicks on after the bounce, backspin dies, sidespin jumps sideways. The ball's trail shows its spin.
• Real rules: the serve bounces on your side first, two serves each, games to 11 won by 2, deuce at 10-10, lets on the serve, edge balls, no volleys. Doubles serve diagonally and partners hit in turn. Matches are one game or best of 3, 5 or 7 (room score limit).

The whole game now fits phones and tablets, menus included.

• Can't turn your phone? With rotation lock on, or inside Instagram, TikTok or Facebook, press Play anyway and the game turns itself sideways.
• Match controls: chat, quick chat, zoom, leave and the room lobby are always on screen; the score sits small at the top.
• Menus: a menu button for the links, dialogs that slide up from the bottom, room chat behind a Chat button and Start game always in reach.

Bring your friends to NextBall and get paid for it. Press Invite at the top of the home page to get your own link.

• 15 coins per friend: you get them as soon as a friend creates an account with your link. Playing as a guest doesn't count.
• Straight to sign-up: your link opens the sign-up form with your name on it, and your friend gets the 50-coin welcome bonus too.
• Copy or share: copy the link, or send it with WhatsApp, X or your phone's share menu. The dialog shows how many friends joined and the coins you earned.

NextBall is more than football now. Every sport has its own physics, real rules and bots. Pick one under Game modes on the home page.

• Basketball: dribble with the movement keys, X passes or steals, Q shoots. 2s and 3s, blocks at the release, rebounds off the rim and the board, out of bounds, a 24-second shot clock. First to 21.
• Volleyball: beach volleyball in side view. Jump, bump and set (aim with A/D), spike at the net. 3 touches, blocks, rally scoring, sets to 15.
• Tennis: singles or doubles on a hard court. Drives, lobs, drop shots and smashes, a real net height, serves with a second serve, deuce, advantage and tie-breaks.
• Ice Hockey: an NHL-shaped rink: glide on the ice, a fast puck, room behind the nets.
• Mini Golf: a 6-hole park, everybody at their own pace: hole out and walk straight on to the next tee. Hold X to charge the putter. Bunkers, a ramp, water and a windmill.
• Replays: replays now have the ball sounds, goals and whistles, in the player and in the videos you make. Videos of the side-view modes (Volleyball, Headball) fill the 9:16 frame.

Bigger ranked games and real finishing in the air.

• Ranked 4v4: a new queue on the big pitch. Parties can now have up to 4 players.
• 4v4 everywhere: Bot Match, the bots prompt, Real Match rooms and Sniper go up to 4v4.
• Headers & volleys (Real Match): a ring appears around a dropping ball. Kick on the green ring for a header you aim with the movement keys, on the orange ring for a volley, the hardest shot in the game.
• Other modes: run under a dropping ball to control it with your chest. Lobs work as before.
• Camera: the Big pitch now starts at zoom 3 and Real Match at zoom 5. Change it with 1-5 and it is remembered for that pitch.

Play under one tag with your friends.

• Teams: create a team with a 3-letter tag on the Teams page. Members play as [TAG] name; anyone can hide their tag. Owners invite players by picking them from a list as they type.
• Play with bots? Start a match alone and we ask if you want bots: 1v1 to 4v4, easy to hard.
• Settings & Lobby: the gear at the top right sets keys, sounds, low latency canvas and extrapolation (/extrapolation in chat works too). The Lobby button (Esc) opens the room lobby mid-game.
• Add to home screen: on a phone, install NextBall and play it full screen like an app.

Smoother picture, easier practice.

• High FPS: the game is now drawn at your monitor's refresh rate: 120, 144, 165 Hz and up. The FPS counter sits under the pitch.
• Training with friends: training balls (6-0) and random balls (R) work whenever no one is on the other team, so you can practise together on one side. Each player gets their own random balls.
• No more kick-offs in training: shots into the net don't count as goals; the ball springs back out to you.
• Hosted rooms: the host now shows HOST instead of a ping, and players see their real delay to the host.
• Fits every screen: Create Room and the lobby's Start game button are always visible on laptop screens, no scrolling.
• Replays: HEADER, VOLLEY and CONTROL moments now show up in replays and clips.

Tournaments and shareable videos.

• NextBall Cups: register your team (1v1 to 5v5) on the Cups page, follow the bracket live, and win coins plus the exclusive CUP CHAMPION title.
• League organizers: we host your cup for free, with organizer tools to start the bracket and enter results.
• Clip editor: on the replay page, drag the IN / OUT handles on the timeline (or pick a goal), preview it in 16:9 for YouTube and 9:16 for TikTok, Shorts and Reels, and press Make video to download MP4s in up to 4K 60 fps, with the camera on the ball, a GOAL! caption and a slow-motion replay.
• Chat filter: offensive words are masked in chat, DMs, player names and room names.

New pages to learn the game and share it with friends.

• Guides: How to play, Game modes, Ranks and Training, with every control and skill explained.
• Blog: skill guides and stories, including how NextBall created the curve, lob, header and volley mechanics of browser football first.
• About page: updated FAQ with every current mode and mobile play.

Lobs can now be finished in the air.

• Header & volley: hold kick as a dropping lob reaches you. Meet it high for a header, low for a volley. Both hit harder than a normal shot.
• Chest control: run under a dropping ball without kicking and it drops dead at your feet.
• Style goals: HEADER and VOLLEY goals get their own tags.
• Training balls: alone in a room, press 6 to 0 for a ground pass, a header ball, a volley ball or a curve from either side, sent from wherever the ball is. Press R for training mode: a random ball from a random spot every few seconds, with time to finish each one. The keys are shown on screen while you play.

Rooms you create now run on your own connection.

• Hosted in your browser: when you create a room, the match runs on your computer and players connect straight to you. Players near the host get the lowest possible ping, wherever in the world you play.
• Same game: every mode, bots, Real Match and Chaos work exactly as before. Results, XP, coins and challenges still count.
• Keep the tab open: closing the host tab closes the room for everyone.
• Ranked matches still run on our servers.

Every match now counts toward something.

• Levels 1–99: earn XP from every match you finish (wins, goals, assists and time played). Ranked gives x1.5, and your first win of the day gives +250 XP. Each level up pays coins, and levels 10, 25, 50, 75 and 99 unlock exclusive cosmetics.
• Challenges: 3 daily, 6 weekly (finish all 6 for a coin bonus) and 30 season challenges in three stages, with an exclusive season set for completing them all. Only matches against other players count.
• Profile cards: click a player anywhere to see their card: level, rank, stats and their equipped background, frame and title.
• Shop: new card backgrounds, avatar frames, name colours and titles.
• Already have an account? Your past matches were turned into a head start.

Coins are easier to earn in normal matches and harder to farm.

• Casual matches now pay 10 coins for a win and 4 for a loss, plus 2 per goal and 1 per assist.
• First win of the day: +25 coins. Every daily challenge also pays +15 coins.
• Casual coins follow the same rules as XP: at least 90 seconds, no AFK, and bot matches don't pay. Match coins are capped at 400 per day.
• Busy status: set yourself to Busy from the Social panel and everyone sees a red dot.

The lob is now a playmaking tool, not a free goal.

• Outside Real Match, a lob can't be aimed at goal: use it to cross or chip over a defender.
• A high ball passes over players; as it drops it can be blocked, controlled or saved again.
• Real Match: lob shots are allowed, keepers can catch a dropping ball, and a chip that's still too high goes over the bar (goal kick or corner).
• Tutorial: the lob drill is now a cross to a teammate who finishes it.
• Home page: Browse and Create Room are front and centre.

New players now learn by playing instead of reading a manual.

• Four hands-on drills: curve, soft touch, lob and a final challenge that puts them together.
• The game pauses at the right moment and shows exactly which keys to press.
• Missed it? You get a quick tip and try again. Finish it to unlock the sign-up bonus: +50 coins and the FIRST WHISTLE title.
• Replay it any time from How to Play.

Three new ways to beat your opponent, in every mode except Headball and Pool.

• Soft touch: hold Ctrl while kicking to keep the ball at your feet and dribble.
• Lob: tap Q to arm a chip for your next kick. The ball flies over players and can beat an onrushing keeper. Combine it with curve.
• Style goals: CURVE, LOB, BANK, LONG RANGE and FIRST TIME goals get their own label on the goal banner.

Real Match now has sprinting and match fitness.

• Hold Shift to sprint. Every player has a stamina bar; run it dry and you have to recover.
• Knock the ball past a tired defender and outrun him.
• Sprinting a lot lowers your match fitness (FIT, top right), which shrinks your stamina for the rest of the match.

No more holding two keys at once: curve is now a one-tap switch.

• Tap Z (left) or C (right) to arm a curve; a small arrow appears on your player.
• Your next kick curves, then it switches off by itself. Tap again to cancel, or tap the other key to switch sides.
• Prefer the old way? Choose Hold in Settings.
• Touch controls work the same way: tap the curve buttons.

The bot brain has been rebuilt. Bots now simulate their options with the real game physics before every move and pick the best one, so every level plays sensibly.

• Three levels: Easy, Medium and Hard. Hard bots are called Legends; they curve shots, hit first-time shots and read the ball's real path in goal.
• Add bot: "+ Add bot" in a room now asks which level you want; Bot Match offers the same three levels.
• No more bots running into walls, standing still or kicking toward their own goal.

Replays now belong to you: you keep the file.

• Press REC in a match; when you stop it (or the match ends) a .nbr replay file downloads to your computer.
• Open it any time from Watch Replay (top-right on the home page): drag the file in and watch with pause, speed, scrubbing and goal jumps.
• Replays are private by default: nothing is stored on our servers.

• Enter to chat during a match, Enter again to send, and you are straight back in the game (no clicking). Empty Enter or Esc closes chat.
• Movement keys no longer get stuck while you type.
• A short chat sound plays when someone writes in the room.
• The post / crossbar sound is back.
• Off-screen player markers are smaller, translucent and only appear when a player is really out of view.

• A new design across the site: home page, pages and mode artwork.
• Big RANKED MATCH button on the home page and a live slider showing every mode.
• Welcome gift: sign up and get 50 coins. Beta players also receive the exclusive FIRST WHISTLE title.
• Casual match results now show a single Close button; Play again lives in the room.

• Pool (8-ball): hold X to charge your cue, precise aiming, real 8-ball rules and pockets.
• Sniper: tiny goals, first to 3 wins.
• Futsal: small court with a faster yellow ball, playable 1v1 or 3v3.
• Headball: side-view head soccer with gravity and jumping.
• All modes are on a new home-page grid, and room admins can switch modes inside the room (including Chaos and Real Match).
• Real Match: offside line shown on the pitch.

• Curve shots reworked: hold Z or C while kicking for a real bend; a faint arc shows the curve while you hold it.
• Room invites: invite friends straight into your room from the Social panel.
• Social panel shows online players, developers and moderators.
• Report a bug form on the home page goes straight to the team.
• Ranked leaver protection: a short reconnect window, then escalating matchmaking bans for players who leave ranked games.

• A completely rebuilt physics engine: tighter ball control, true curve and the classic stadiums.
• The server runs the same physics and the game predicts your movement, so online input feels instant. Use /extrapolation to tune it.
• New dedicated game server for lower, steadier ping.
• Smoother camera with no jumps when zooming (keys 1–5), and a calmer pitch design that is easier on the eyes.

• Touch controls for phones and tablets.
• Offline bot matches that work without a connection.

New Game Mode: Every 10 seconds, players receive a random special power! Activate with E key for spectacular effects.

10 Unique Powers:

• Cyclone: Creates a tornado pushing nearby players away
• Sucker Punch: Spring-loaded boxing glove punches ball/players
• Thunderboot: 3x kick power for 3 seconds
• Glitch: Reverses nearest opponent's controls for 4 seconds
• Frostbite: Freezes the ball in place for 3 seconds
• Hookshot: Fire a hook at the ball and pull yourself toward it
• Graviton: Magnetic field attracts ball toward you for 4 seconds
• Ball & Chain: Tether the ball to yourself for 4 seconds
• Juggernaut: Super-strength aura with massive knockback for 3 seconds
• Phantom Swap: Instantly teleport and swap position with nearest opponent

Visual Effects:

• Particle bursts, glowing auras, and screen shake on activation
• Ongoing visual indicators for duration-based powers
• Power bar UI showing cooldown, ready state, and active duration

How to Play:

• Create or join a "Chaos" room from the main menu or room browser
• Wait for your power to charge (10 second cooldown)
• Press E to activate your power!

New Game Mode: Experience realistic football rules with our brand new Real Match mode!

Features:

• Offside Rule: Real offside detection with visual indicators and replay
• Dead Ball System: Throw-ins, corners, goal kicks, and free kicks
• Boost Zones: Special zones near goals that give temporary speed boost
• Visual Indicators: Offside lines, dead ball markers, and position guides
• Smart AI: Bots understand and follow real football rules

Dead Ball Types:

• Throw-in: When ball crosses side lines
• Corner: When defending team kicks ball over their goal line
• Goal Kick: When attacking team kicks ball over goal line
• Free Kick: After offside violations

How to Play:

• Create or join a "Real Match" room from the room browser
• Big stadium (1200x540) with 5v5 format
• Yellow offside line shows the offside position
• Watch for boost zones near goals for extra speed!

Problem: On big stadium maps with zoomed-in camera, teammates could be off-screen, making it difficult to know their positions for passing.

Solution: Added directional arrow indicators at screen edges showing off-screen player locations.

Features:

• Colored circles with arrows pointing to player direction
• Team colors (red/blue) for easy identification
• Glow effect on teammates for better visibility
• Shows player number, avatar, or first letter of name
• Works in all game modes (not just Real Match)

How it works:

• When a player leaves your screen view, an indicator appears at the edge
• Arrow points toward the actual player location
• Both teammates and opponents are shown
• Teammates have a subtle glow to stand out more

Benefits:

• Better situational awareness on large maps
• Easier to make blind passes to teammates
• Know when opponents are approaching from off-screen

Problem: Localhost felt responsive, but VPS server had noticeable input lag (53-129ms total latency). Players experienced delayed reactions to keyboard inputs.

Root Cause Analysis: 7 critical latency sources identified in the game loop pipeline:

• Synchronous server broadcast blocking (22-32ms)
• High interpolation delay (33ms)
• No client-side movement prediction
• Physics rate mismatch (60Hz vs expected 120Hz)

Solutions Implemented:

1. Async Delta Compression

• Separated state computation from broadcast loop
• Pre-computed deltas in parallel interval
• Broadcast delay: 22-32ms → 8-12ms (60% reduction)

2. Interpolation Delay Reduction

• Snapshot buffer: 3 frames → 2 frames
• Interpolation delay: 2 frames → 1 frame
• Render lag: 33ms → 16.67ms (50% reduction)

3. Client-Side Movement Prediction

• Local player position predicted based on inputs
• Server reconciliation with smooth error correction
• Visual lag: 50-100ms → 20-40ms (60% reduction)
• Instant visual feedback on keyboard input

4. Physics Rate Upgrade

• Tick rate: 60Hz → 120Hz (8.33ms per tick)
• Smoother physics simulation
• Better collision detection
• Network broadcast stays at 60Hz (bandwidth efficient)

Overall Results:

• Total latency: 53-129ms → 28-65ms (~50% improvement)
• Localhost: 36-97ms → 18-48ms
• Same city: 53-129ms → 28-65ms
• Different cities: 80-180ms → 40-90ms
• Server CPU: -30% (async processing)
• Gameplay feel: Much more responsive and smooth

Technical Details:

• State caching with Map<string, any>
• Prediction lerp factor: 0.3 for smooth reconciliation
• Snap threshold: 50px error before teleport correction
• Physics substeps: 2 per tick for accuracy

Problem: When receiving passes, the ball pushed players too aggressively, making it difficult to control incoming balls.

Solution: Increased ball mass from 1.0 to 1.5 in the physics engine.

Results:

• Player push force reduced by ~30%
• Better control when receiving passes
• Ball feels more "solid" during collisions
• Easier to hit incoming balls without getting pushed away

Technical Details:

• Total collision mass: 3.5 (was 3.0)
• Player receives 43% of push force (was 33%)
• Ball receives 57% of push force (was 67%)

Problem: Dynamic zoom (based on ball distance) was distracting and broke concentration during gameplay.

Solution: Replaced dynamic zoom with 5 fixed manual zoom levels controlled by number keys 1-5.

Classic Stadium (840x400):

• 1: 1.25 (default) - Closest
• 2: 1.40 - Closer
• 3: 1.55 - Close
• 4: 1.70 - Very close
• 5: 1.85 - Maximum zoom

Big Stadium (1200x540):

• 1: 1.50 - Closest
• 2: 1.35 - Closer
• 3: 1.20 (default) - Balanced
• 4: 1.05 - Further
• 5: 0.90 - Furthest (full field view)

Features:

• Zoom level stays fixed (no automatic changes)
• Camera position still follows player smoothly (Big stadium only)
• Stadium change resets zoom to default level
• Added "1-5: Camera Zoom" indicator in controls UI

Problem: Big stadium camera was too far away, making players appear very small on screen.

Solution: Implemented dynamic camera position tracking for Big stadium.

Features:

• Camera smoothly follows your player with lerp interpolation
• Tracks ball when it's far away (>300px)
• Stays within field boundaries (no off-screen glitches)
• Classic stadium keeps static centered camera (unchanged)

Technical:

• Camera lerp factor: 0.1 (smooth movement)
• Ball follow distance threshold: 300px
• Boundary constraints prevent camera from leaving field