Sloclap is going in an unexpected direction with its Sifu follow-up: an online multiplayer soccer game called Rematch.
Sifu is a beat 'em up set in China that revolves around cool martial arts action. Unveiled at The Game Awards 2024, Rematch is a new arcade take on soccer due out in the summer of 2025 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. A beta is planned for the spring.
The Paris-based Sloclap, big fans of soccer and of course the French national team, has created a short, fast-paced 5v5 match experience that uses a third-person camera rather than a fixed camera. The debut trailer is below:
As you can see from the footage, Rematch is set in caged virtual reality arenas, with no fouls and thus no penalties, no offsides or any breaks in play. The ball can’t go out of play so there are no throw-ins or goal kicks. Players control just one footballer on the team, switching between attacker and defender and even the goalkeeper, which has specific abilities.
Aim and shoot mechanics need to be mastered, as well as the timing of volleys. In a preview session held ahead of the announcement, Sloclap indicated that passing and teamplay will be key to success, as those who stay on the ball for too long will be easily closed down and dispossessed by defenders.
Expect quickplay game modes at launch, with post-launch seasonal content including new game modes and unique cosmetic options that allow each player to customize their character.
Sloclap told press it has spent the last three years working on Rematch, and faced a number of challenges along the way. And while it has yet to announce pricing, Rematch is a premium game and not free-to-play.
In something of a coming full circle moment, Rocket League, aka soccer with cars, was an inspiration for Rematch, according to Sloclap. But the key difference is that Rematch revolves around team play and precision with shooting and passing, whereas Rocket League revolves around physics interactions between the cars and ball. Speaking of Rematch’s shooting mechanic, Sloclap said Blizzard’s Overwatch was an inspiration.
Be sure to check out IGN's round-up of everything announced at The Game Awards 2024 for more on what's coming to the world of gaming in the years to come.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
