Solid Gameplay That Breaks Away From The Norm
Tight Controls With A Tighter Learning Curve
No Crossplay At Launch — A Giant Flaw
Connection Problems and Instability Remain To Be Ironed Out
Esports Impact
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Rematch

Rematch, developed by Sloclap, has been one of the most anticipated sports games of 2025. While the game officially releases on Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation on June 19, you can get your hands on it 72 hours early by pre-ordering the Pro or Elite edition.

And now, after two successful beta tests and almost a day post-launch on early access, the reviews echo praise from critics and the public for the arcade-y take on soccer, but with a few hiccups and one particular disappointing reveal.

Solid Gameplay That Breaks Away From The Norm

Rematch's thrilling gameplay is its highlight | Image via playrematch.com

The biggest selling point for Rematch is its engaging gameplay loop that's neither too grounded nor too gimmicky. Unlike FIFA, where you control a whole team that mostly plays itself, you're just a single person on the field that has to do everything manually — dribbling, dodging, defense, and all else.

There's an incredibly high emphasis on player freedom. The game switches goalkeepers after every goal scored, but you can switch in and out of that role any time during the match, letting you showcase your true expertise on the field.

Rematch's overall gameplay is smooth, fast, and seamless. There aren't any offsides, throw-ins, or fouls that break up the match — you're always doing something meaningful for the complete duration. Everyone's on an even playing field since there aren't any custom stats, so you purely rely on your individual and team skills to secure the win.

Of course, trusting random players in a team to that extent can be a downside, and even reviewers like Try Hard Guides report griefing instances from other players in the form of "intentionally kicking the ball into our own team’s goal."

The game currently supports three game modes — 3v3, 4v4, and 5v5 — with ranked only featuring the latter mode. In every game, you must be in sync with your team if you want to win; carrying is still possible, but communication and skill are essential. Game8 describes it as "a game that rewards players who understand the inner workings of the game."

Tight Controls With A Tighter Learning Curve

Rematch gets better the more you learn | Image via playrematch.com

All things considered, the default control scheme is exceptionally intuitive and responsive, even on a Keyboard and Mouse configuration. You don't have to learn the mechanical rules of soccer beyond the bottom line: kick the ball and get it into the big net at the opposite end.

Still, that's not to say the game is easy; at a base level, there are a ton of moves useful in specific scenarios, both as an attacker and defender.

You only control one character on the field, but doing everything manually means you have to be much more active, even during simple actions like picking up an idle ball. The review from PureXbox shares the sentiment, saying "something as simple as playing a short pass can be tricky because of how non-automated everything is."

Rematch forces you to make choices in the heat of the moment, which is why it's so satisfying when you pick the right one. Doing a Rainbow Flick to blitz past an aggressive player can be a highlight alone, and every shot—chip, finesse, or power—feels impactful.

The arcade-like nature opens a lot of doors, giving Rematch significantly more depth than your run-of-the-mill soccer game. The skill ceiling is substantially high, so if you're willing to go pro, there is certainly enough potential and room to make you stand out from other players.

No Crossplay At Launch — A Giant Flaw

Rematch's controversial crossplay decision | Image via playrematch.com

Despite Rematch reaching a peak of roughly 180,000 players in the Beta and almost 43,000 on the first day of early access on Steam, it may not be enough to result in quick matchmaking times.

A few hours before early access, the official Rematch account on X tweeted that crossplay between Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation would not be available at launch, but assured that the feature is a "top priority" that will be implemented later down the road.

Since the game is online-only with no bot matches, this is a devastating blow that can severely impact the playerbase, especially when crossplay was advertised on official accounts beforehand.

With longer matchmaking and fewer opportunities to play with friends due to no inter-platform compatibility, it can risk a frustrated community that'll dwindle and move on if not rectified immediately.

Connection Problems and Instability Remain To Be Ironed Out

Instability issues across the field | Image via playrematch.com

The developers already picked up on these concerns and released a hotfix that addresses the faulty netcode along with other technical post-launch problems. Still, they did point out that the kick-off issue "might still happen" and are continuously working to get it fixed by the next patch.

Esports Impact

Even at its early stages, Rematch aims to have an active esports scene in the coming months. The game already had its first Early Access European Tournament, with the French team coming out on top.

On the influencer side of things, we're also seeing popular names like @qtcinderella and @DisguisedToast participate in the North American Early Access Tournament. If this reach is anything to go by, we can expect more competitive events coming ahead of the full launch on June 19.