Rematch, an unlikely soccer game fromSifuandAbsolverdeveloper Sloclap, is making some major waves ahead of its official June 19 release date. On May 28, the game entered its final beta testing period, and it’s looking like clear skies ahead for the breakout sports titles, as it’s alreadytopped Steam’s charts, reaching a peak concurrent player count of almost 150,000 during its first day.
That puts it above bothEA Sports FC(previously known asFIFA), one of the largest sports game franchises of all time, as well asMarvel Rivals, a free-to-play shooter that has dominated the charts in recent months. This is no small feat forRematch, which must certainly seem like a small fish in the swollen eyes of goliaths like EA and NetEase, and while a lot could change ahead of its full release, the newcomer looks like it could be a real threat to legacy soccer games. But why exactly isRematchmaking such a splash, and how will it fare once it releases as a $30 game this summer?
Rematch Has the Makings of a Sports Game Phenomenon
Rematch Is Unlike Anything Big Sports Franchises Are Doing
There are a few major distinctions betweenRematchandsomething likeEA Sports FC, with the most obvious being a matter of in-game perspective: players assume the role of a single player in a team of five, rather than having god-like control over the field like in most sports games. As the game’s marketing has attested, this makes for a more immersive experience, but also a more challenging and team-oriented one, as specialization and coordination become far more important when the player can only fill one pair of cleats.
Rematchis also highly stylized, with implausible visuals in line with Sloclap’s other releases.
Rematch Is Offering a Much-Needed Alternative in the Soccer Games Market
It’s no great secret that leading sports franchises likeFIFA,NBA 2K, andMaddenhave some of the most egregious monetization and design trends in the gaming industry. Not only have these games led the charge in too-accessible gambling through features like Ultimate Team, but they have also come under fire for releasing a new, full-priced game each year with only the most modest improvements. Other controversial additions, like thereal ads inNBA 2K, have furthered audience frustration with these mammoth franchises.
And yet, these sports games are often among the year’s best-selling releases, and there are a few potential reasons for that, chief among them being that there simply aren’t enough high-profile alternatives. If someone enjoys the gameplay loop ofsomething likeFIFA, there aren’t really any other games offering a similar experience. And since these major publishers partner with leagues like the NFL and NBA, other games companies can’t get the license to use real-world sports elements like team names and logos.
But a lot of players are starting to care less about realism and playing as their favorite team in light of these franchises’ aforementioned faults. Sometimes, it can feel like series likeFIFAare designed as money machines rather than pieces of entertainment, raking in MTX profit that minimizes the drive for innovation and creativity. In other words, audiences are craving something new, andRematchis giving themthat.
WHERE TO PLAY
From the makers of the acclaimedSifu, Rematch is football with an arcade twist - no offsides, no fouls, no pauses… no time to rest.
Third-person perspective puts you into the heart of the action from an immersive viewpoint.
Designed from the ground up as an online multiplayer experience, Rematch offers split-second gameplay responsiveness that always feels fair.
