I certainly wasn’t expecting the next game from Sloclap, the developer responsible for martial arts games Absolver and Sifu, to be a soccer game, and yet here we are. As revealed during The Game Awards, Sloclap’s next project is a 5v5 online multiplayer soccer game called Rematch. The game relies on the precise hitbox tech and fluid movements developed in Absolver and Sifu to craft a high-action and strategic soccer experience.
The vibrant blue and orange colors, lack of fouls or off-sides, focus on acrobatic plays, vibrant goal explosions, and ability to pass the ball off the wall and ceiling give Rematch strong Rocket League vibes, and I’m all for that. The game features a little more structure than something like Rocket League–each team in Rematch has a set goalie, for example–but FIFA or EA FC this is not. You’re not controlling a whole team and playing by actual soccer rules; you’re playing as a single person and doing your best to look as cool as possible while working alongside four other players.
Have you ever read or watched Blue Lock? Because that’s the vibe this game is giving. Here’s hoping it can pull that fantasy off.
Ahead of The Game Awards, a preview event for Rematch delved into the game, showcasing how it emulates a competitive team shooter by encouraging players to pull off sick plays together, specialize in particular roles on the field, and aim and shoot the ball like you would in a third-person shooter. Similar to Rocket League, matches seem fast-paced and quick–you and your friends queue up, play, decide you want to play just one more match, and then before you know it, it’s 3 AM. Presumably, anyway. I haven’t had a chance to play Rematch, but it looks so much like a game that my friends and I have wanted for a few years now.
The one potential concern I could see myself having with the game is how it handles the goalie, the one position that keeps a member of the team on one side of the field. I could see that being less fun than playing as a striker who can score goals and still retreat back to their own goal to defend. However, during the preview event, Sloclap co-founder Pierre Tarno told press that it “feels really great and satisfying” playing as the goalkeeper and that “you have stronger abilities as a goalkeeper than the other players,” so I could be worried for nothing.
“The different tackles you have, the fact that you can put your body into position to shadow your opponents, the fact that you can dive to try and intercept high balls,” Tarno said. “I won’t go too deep into the mechanics but how these mechanics feel [and] how you place yourself [add strategic enjoyment to the goalkeeper position]. It’s really satisfying when you stop an attack because every time you do that, the direction flips.”
Rematch will support seasonal post-launch content and a few modes other than the 5v5 at launch. The game is set to release for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC in Summer 2025.