Rematch

Almost two million players took part in the open beta of Rematch last month. The action football game from Sloclap and Kepler Interactive is now available. For Kepler, this is the next major release after Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Rematch is reminiscent of Rocket League, only without the vehicles. It focuses on fast-paced football action on a small court. This multiplayer online football game clearly sets itself apart from FIFA, EA Sports FC and eFootball with its fast-paced gameplay and immersive third-person perspective. There are no famous players or teams, just fast-paced, team-oriented matches with three to five players per team, set in colourful and sometimes weird arenas. Matches are short (six minutes plus extra time), intense, and require quick reactions, skill, and good teamwork. There are no offside rules, no fouls, no VAR and no set positions. The ball always stays in play. Anyone can play anywhere on the field, and the goalkeeper changes dynamically - usually to the player who is closest to the back.

By removing these elements and focusing on ball sports and teamwork, the matches become surprisingly challenging and dynamic. It is important to emphasise that all players are equally fast, strong and tall. Ultimately, it comes down to the players' skill, teamwork and, even more importantly, their awareness of what is happening on the pitch. Nevertheless, it takes practice to get used to the controls and button layout, which may seem unfamiliar at first (the shooting controls resemble those in a shooter game), since there are no actions that are triggered automatically. Players have full control over where the ball is passed or shot. As such, players can expect a level playing field where skill is the deciding factor.

When the team is well-coordinated, Rematch can be great fun and very rewarding, especially when the teamwork and communication are really good – which is always a bit of a gamble with random players. However, Rematch still suffers from technical/netcode issues, such as bugs, lags and desyncs, which can detract from the overall experience. According to a statement, the developers are already working on the technical issues and the current absence of crossplay.

The progression system in Rematch consists of a player level, which increases by collecting XP. XP can be earned through various in-game actions, such as scoring goals, making passes, interceptions or saves. As a goalkeeper, it is particularly easy to accumulate a lot of XP. There are also daily XP challenges. In order to play in Ranked mode, players must reach Level 5 and participate in five placement matches. The ranked system is divided into five leagues (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond), each of which has three divisions. Progress is made by collecting ranked points (RP) for wins and losing points for defeats, though this is also relative to the strength of opponents faced. There is also seasonal progression (Captain Pass), which has free and premium tracks where players can unlock new skins, characters, stadium elements, and other cosmetic items. All rewards are purely visual and do not provide any gameplay advantage.

At the start of Season 0, there are four game modes: 3v3, 4v4, 5v5 and 5v5 with rankings, as well as Quick Play, Tutorial and Training options. New game modes, outfits, environments, competitive features and more are set to follow. A mode for solo players with AI teammates has also been announced for Season 3 in 2026. Before the final open beta, Sloclap announced its first professional partnerships with Marc-André ter Stegen (FC Barcelona and Germany's national team goalkeeper and captain); Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United and England youth team player); and Ronaldo "Ronaldinho" de Assis Moreira, the Brazilian footballer. These footballers are included in the game as playable characters, albeit only as stylised visual representations that do not affect gameplay.

Rematch is developed by Sloclap in Paris. The independent game development studio, founded in 2015, was previously known for the online multiplayer combat game Absolver (2017) and the third-person brawler with cinematic martial arts action, Sifu (2021). The studio now employs over 100 people. Co-publisher is Kepler Interactive, a video game company and creative studio headquartered in London, mainly known for games such as Pacific Drive, Sifu, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (April 2025). The latter was the publisher's biggest success to date, selling over 3.3 million copies in 33 days — and it also received high praise from critics and users. Alongside its gaming portfolio, Kepler's creative studio seeks to bring games to life in areas such as art, fashion, music, architecture, and design through the development of lifestyle products and collaborations with artists.

"With Rematch, we're trying to capture this essence of football and condense it in short, fast-paced 5v5 matches. We felt it was time for a new perspective on this beautiful game: closer to the pitch, closer to the players. The third person camera gives a unique immersion in the ebb and flow of the match: the ball moving away and coming closer, the waves of offense and defense … this is what it feels like to actually play football. Like real football, we want Rematch to be a highly cooperative game. Fundamentally, Rematch is about the joy of playing football with friends, of being together in a team. It's about putting your team first, and how it can be more satisfying to serve the perfect assist than to actually score oneself. We look forward to meeting players on the pitch very soon." - Sloclap

Rematch was released on 16 June 2025 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. With 92,841 users active simultaneously at launch on Thursday, the game certainly made a strong debut on Steam. The Standard Edition costs €24.99. There is also a Pro Edition, priced at €34.99, which offered 72-hour early access, a Captain Pass Upgrade Ticket (for the upper tier to unlock all rewards of the Battle Pass) and additional cosmetics. The €44.99 Elite Edition includes an additional Captain Pass Upgrade Ticket and more cosmetics.

Conclusion

Rematch is a refreshingly different multiplayer online football game that focuses on fast-paced, action-packed matches. Building on teamwork, skill and precision, it currently struggles with technical/server issues. However, this is already being worked on ...

Features

• Online multiplayer football
• Designed for action-oriented, competitive play and teamwork
• Strategy, skill and awareness are essential