Will Rematch Become A Real Rival to FIFA?

For years, the football games scene has been ruled by heavyweights like FIFA and EA Sports FC, setting the gold standard for realism and broadcast-level polish. But players are starting to crave something different. That’s where Rematch slides onto the pitch: a FIFA alternative built for players who’d rather feel the game than watch another lifelike cutscene.
Developed by Sloclap (the French studio that flexed its combat chops with Sifu and Absolver), the Rematch game is an unexpected pivot in video game development. After years of mastering kung fu combat and parry timing, the team has swapped dojo floors for digital turf, channeling that same intensity into a five-a-side football frenzy.

Source: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sports/rematch-review/

It doesn’t chase realism. The game trades FIFA’s broadcast presentation for pulse-pounding arcade action. It’s chaotic in the best way: where goalkeepers can suddenly turn strikers, and one perfect through-pass can flip the match momentum real fast.

By fusing Sloclap’s trademark reactive mechanics with football’s unpredictable pace, Rematch nails that sweet spot between depth and flow. It’s not here to dethrone EA, as many believed. But it does its thing in rewriting the meta.

Rematch soccer game is a fast, physics-driven football simulation that trades realism for rhythm. Developed by Sloclap, the studio behind Sifu and Absolver, the title brings an arcade twist to the sport. It prioritizes flow, reactivity, and on-the-fly decision-making over traditional football rules.

Where FIFA and EA Sports FC rely on licenses and broadcast authenticity, Rematch carves out its own lane with focused design, responsive controls, and tight, chaotic matches that keep the action uninterrupted.

Rematch cuts out all the standard interruptions that frame the genre. There are no fouls, penalties, or offsides, so action keeps going uninterrupted. The ball never leaves the pitch. There are no throw-ins or goal kicks.

Unlike traditional open-field games, Rematch has matches that occur within enclosed, video-game-like arenas where walls are part of the play. Players may use them to deflect passes, turn away shots, or create unpredictable bounces. This intimate framing adds to the intensity of the game, where every ricochet and block becomes a tactical opportunity.

Each player controls a single footballer in third-person perspective, switching dynamically between attacker, defender, or goalkeeper as the match evolves. No one is tied down to specific positions, and fluidity rewards the player who guesses right quickly instead of just lining up against a set formation.

Rematch's aim-and-shoot mechanic streamlines input without limiting depth, and the players can charge or flick shots with pinpoint accuracy. This feels closer to a brawler or action game than something strictly sim-y, which is to be expected given Sloclap’s pedigree. The result is a quick arcade experience that’s easy to learn but infinitely replayable.

Available now as Rematch on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, the game delivers smooth performance and immersive visuals powered by Unreal Engine 5. While cross-platform play wasn’t enabled at launch, Sloclap confirmed that it’s coming in a post-release update.

Rematch gameplay is all about changing the course of play! Instead of controlling entire teams, individual players fill the shoes of a single footballer, participating in 3v3, 4v4, or 5v5 matches. These speedy matches are just six minutes long, and the action stops immediately if a team takes a four-goal lead.

As third-person games do, the title gives you a full perspective on what’s going on in the field. You’ll have control to view the action the way you want: zoom in for full awareness, or pull back to see and plan your attack while maintaining a sense of complete control over your space. The ball, driven by tactile physics, behaves like a live object, never being glued to your feet, always demanding precision. Shooting works more like aiming in a shooter: line up your reticle, charge power, and fire at the perfect angle. It’s unorthodox but deeply satisfying once mastered.

Source: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sports/if-you-catch-the-ball-in-rematch-theres-a-small-chance-you-didnt-sloclaps-desync-issues-are-upsetting-players-in-a-game-i-otherwise-cant-stop-playing/

Goalkeeping gives rhythm to the game. After each goal, roles rotate automatically. Everyone takes a turn defending the net. Players can also “rush” while manning the keeper position mid-match, upping the defensive and counterattack options even more. The mechanic helps create a sense of shared responsibility (and occasional humor) when a would-be striker sprints up the field only to be caught out of position.

For all of its intensity, Rematch video game is actually quite accessible. Controls are simple, and mechanics are subtly introduced over a brief prologue and some practice minigames. New players will be able to grasp the fundamentals easily, and experienced players will refine their timing and power control (whether using a keyboard or controller) and acquire skills from wall-assisted plays to climb the ranks. Customization settings allow minimal control remapping and visual adjustment to help players find their ideal spot between input devices.

While FIFA and EA Sports FC have long defined realism and authenticity in digital football, Rematch takes a different route. It presents itself as an arcade soccer game focused on tactile control at the expense of manager-level depth. Instead of orchestrating a team from afar, players live every moment on the pitch. The ball physics concept adds more realism. It’s a more streamlined game, with the skill ceiling more imposing and the action much more intimate.

In terms of presentation, the gulf is even greater. Rematch swaps out actual clubs, licensed leagues, and celebrity likenesses for stylized avatars, complete with fictional tournaments. It’s an intentional choice: swapping photo-realistic kits for a unique art direction that prioritizes movement and atmosphere over faithful reproduction. This decision removes the game from licensing restrictions and gives the team more freedom to be creative with match design and players' customization.

Source: https://www.gamesradar.com/games/sports/rematch-alley-oop-skills/

Where FIFA thrives on legacy and esports infrastructure, Rematch is carving out its own competitive niche from the ground up. Early community efforts have already given rise to dedicated Discord groups, ranked ladders, and even an emerging unofficial league. It’s a different kind of competition, having vibes of grassroots, being fast-evolving, and shaped directly by player feedback.

Even with its distinctive mechanics and growing visibility, Rematch faces several ongoing challenges that highlight both its ambition and its experimental nature within the football games genre.

Rematch game crossplay was one of the most notable omissions with the launch. Not having cross-platform play broke up the player base between PC, PlayStation, and Rematch on Xbox, so it was tough for people playing on different systems to be able to join forces. Sloclap quickly responded after release, enabling full crossplay through a major post-launch update that fully reinstated matchmaking between all platforms and shored up the online performance.

Source: https://www.gematsu.com/2024/12/sloclap-announces-soccer-game-rematch-for-ps5-xbox-series-and-pc

It has also been plagued throughout the game’s early weeks of release by server instability, input delay, and periodic desyncs that led to unpredictable moments in-game, like tackles missing entirely or shots passing through defenders. Those have all been resolved over continuous cross-platform game development improvements, with technical patches now rolling out regularly. Recent updates have also enhanced matchmaking balance, improved animation syncing, and optimized hit detection during high-intensity matches.

Regular hotfixes and performance patches are all helping to improve gameplay fidelity, which shows Sloclap is serious about long-term support. The developers have also added more accurate error reporting and stability monitoring to ensure future updates are even smoother, and can help provide a better environment for competitive play by keeping the servers up.

Creating a lasting community has been harder to achieve. In contrast to FIFA or EA Sports FC, Rematch doesn’t have official football teams, real-life players, or branded tournaments, components that have traditionally served as the connecting dots for fans and sports. That absence of complexity, along with its arcade nature and cartoon-like visuals, explains why it hasn’t been widely embraced. Players accustomed to realism often find the shift to Rematch’s physics-heavy, third-person format unfamiliar. Especially since it demands constant camera control and direct player coordination, rather than tactical, top-down management.

The high skill ceiling and unique mechanics can feel like a shock if you’re used to the machine-tooled rhythms of licensed football sims. While all of those are features that deepen the experience for skill-based play, they have high barriers to entry for more casual fans who want a pick-up-and-play level of recognition.

Still, accessibility through Rematch Game Pass has expanded its reach. Added to the service on June 19, 2025, the same day it launched, the game is free to download and can even be streamed via Xbox Cloud Gaming for Ultimate subscribers. This move significantly increased its visibility, helping casual players discover it without risk.

The outlook for Rematch is one defined by evolution. Sloclap has been loud and clear since launch about its commitment to continually iterating on and growing the game, fueled by post-launch updates based on community input. After addressing the initial network instability and restoring Rematch game crossplay, the team continues to roll out patches that focus on smoother gameplay, fairer matchmaking, and improved balance across all modes. It’s a commitment indicative of the studio’s history of post-launch support; a stance that has already been demonstrated in its past titles, such as Sifu and Absolver.

Sloclap's roadmap for Rematch focuses on two cornerstones: performance and player experience. And, down the line, even more enticing features are promised, including new arenas and ranked tournament mechanisms to keep things competitive. The devs have also indicated that they’re going to further improve quality-of-life aspects like customization control, extensive tutorials, and save-replay (all things the player base has been asking for).

If Sloclap continues to build upon community trust and deliver meaningful improvements, Rematch has the potential not only to endure but to establish a lasting niche in the video game market.

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