Rematch’s First Major Match is Clear

Rematch's First Major Match is Clear



Rematch was one of the many surprising announcements at this year’s Game Awards. After its success with Sifu, developer Sloclap shocked many with this vastly different project. Rematch sets out to bring players a 5v5 arcade-style soccer title that has plenty of unique flare.




While the art styles of both Sifu and Rematch are quite close to one another, the similarities end there. Based on early footage, Rematch promises non-stop action in a highly stylized setting. The third-person soccer-focused title puts players in 5v5 multiplayer matches, and while it has been an interesting game to look into, there is also a clear competitor in its midst. The gameplay may be focused on human characters, but Rematch feels surprisingly reminiscent of Rocket League, presenting a huge challenger on the horizon.

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Rematch and Rocket League Feel Poised to Go Head-to-Head With One Another

Rematch is Intriguing, But Rocket League Already Has a Clear Advantage

  • Rematch is set to be listed as a premium title, meaning it will not be free-to-play like Rocket League.


Although Rocket League wasn’t always a free-to-play title, it has boasted a zero-cost price tag since 2020, which helped it gain even more players. This may be the biggest hurdle that Rematch faces. A lot of online multiplayer titles of the current generation opt for a free-to-play model, but Sloclap has clearly chosen a different path for its soccer game. Rocket League is one of many free-to-play titles on the Epic Games store, and Rematch could be hurting itself in the long run by not following suit.

Recently, another game met an unfortunate fate that could have partially been caused by its price tag. The shut-down of Concord only two weeks after its launch was one of the biggest gaming stories of 2024. The Sony-exclusive hero shooter was set to compete with Overwatch 2 and the recently released Marvel Rivals, but these two games had the benefit of being free-to-play, while Concord was priced at $40. It’s hard to convince audiences to pay for a game when they can get a similar experience for free, and Rematch could be setting itself up for a similar problem. However, Rematch has some solid things going for it that Rocket League doesn’t have.


Sloclap has yet to reveal how much
Rematch
will cost at launch.

Rematch’s Biggest Advantages Over Rocket League

  • 5v5 multiplayer
  • Human focus instead of cars

Rematch takes a human character approach to soccer instead of Rocket League‘s car twist, and this could be incredibly appealing to many gamers. While the world of car-based games has a huge following, there are many out there who want what Rocket League offers, but with a more traditional version of soccer. According to the game’s Steam page, Rematch will forego soccer rules like fouls and offsides, but it is still far more traditional than putting cars in place of players. This may be far more attractive to fans of soccer titles like EA Sports FC, which is a major benefit.

As of now,
Rematch
is scheduled to launch in the summer of 2025.


Furthermore, 5v5 matches is something that has been talked about in the Rocket League community for years. Bringing a 5v5 experience to Rocket League would be really difficult, though, as it would require larger arenas to accommodate that many players. However, with human characters, 5v5 is completely possible, which could give Rematch the extra kick it needs to make its yet-to-be-revealed price tag worth it for some gamers. The world of sports games is competitive, so it will be intriguing to see how Rematch fares against a game as big as Rocket League.

As the new year arrives, Sloclap is sure to bring forth more updates about Rematch in the near future. An arcade soccer game is a surprising choice after Sifu, but Rematch‘s Rocket League vibes could make it both a fun title and a worthy competitor.

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