A Rematch Button May Come To Rematch One Day, But Probably Not Until Season 3

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Okay, so Rematch is this really cool game from the makers of Absolver and Sifu – they took all the awesome movement and aiming stuff from those fighting games and turned it into a 3v3 soccer-shooter. It’s been a great surprise! We’re in the middle of the first season now, and they’ve fixed a ton of bugs and finally added Ranked play, which everyone was asking for. But there’s still one big thing players want: a ‘rematch’ button. Seriously, everyone wants to be able to quickly challenge the team that just beat them! The devs know we want it, and they’re looking into it, but it probably won’t be added this season, and honestly, they aren’t even sure if it will happen at all. Still, it’s good to know they’re at least thinking about it.

So, I was chatting with Pierre Tarno, the creative director for Rematch, and he gave me an update on what’s coming. He wasn’t promising anything, but apparently a rematch button was originally supposed to be in Season 2. Now it’s looking more likely for Season 3. But before that, they’re really focused on a ‘team up’ feature. He explained they want you to be able to easily play with people you enjoyed teaming with – you know, avoid having people roleplaying as different characters and messing with the team dynamic! Basically, they want to make it easy to say, ‘Hey, I had a great time playing with you guys, let’s team up again!’ That’s what they’re working on first, which sounds awesome to me.

The team is continuing to refine how the game feels moment-to-moment. Tarno explained that balancing Rematch’s mechanics is particularly challenging because any adjustment is instantly noticeable to players – a unique issue compared to most online games that are constantly updated.

Tarno explained that in Rematch, every action can change the game’s result, and players should always be aware they’re being observed. Unlike many other games, Rematch features ten players all focused on the same spot at the same time.

Tarno explained that unlike games like Overwatch 2 or Apex Legends, where what happens in a match is mostly private to each player, Rematch is different. In those other games, large maps and enclosed spaces break up each match into many isolated moments. But in Rematch, everyone sees everything that happens to every player. This means even small changes to how something works are immediately noticeable.

Tarno explained that when a tackle looks successful to everyone watching, but doesn’t actually bring the player down, it sets an incredibly high standard for how well our players need to perform.

Season 1 keeps major gameplay changes relatively small because Sloclap is still learning what players enjoy most. Bigger updates are planned as they get more feedback and understand player preferences better.

We definitely consider how players are used to doing things, but we’re willing to make significant changes if we feel they’re necessary. For example, we’re planning a feature called ‘volley contacts’ – likely to be released in March – which will address situations where two players try to hit the same volley at the same time.

In Rematch, a volley happens when you react to a ball that’s coming towards you and within your reach. This includes moves like headers, back-heel passes, and impressive kicks. Volleys are important in the game, but currently, there aren’t clear rules about who gets to perform a volley if multiple players try at the same time.

Tarno explained that the recently released Patch 5 improves how players compete for volleys by giving priority to those closest to the ball’s path. However, he added that this is only a first step. While it will make things fairer in many cases, it might also strengthen what skilled players call the ‘missile meta’ – a strategy focused on long passes into the penalty area, hoping a player will win the volley and get a scoring opportunity.

To keep the game fresh and encourage players to try different strategies, the Sloclap team plans to improve how volleys work in future updates. They want to move beyond simply rewarding the player closest to the ball, and instead prioritize skillful actions and smart positioning. A similar system already exists in Rematch mode, where the goalkeeper can always intercept the ball with a well-timed lunge or dive, regardless of its speed or angle.

After the recent Patch 5 update, Rematch will receive one final major update for Season 1: a completely new game mode. The developers noticed that while Ranked 5v5 and 3v3 are the most played modes, dedicated players also want something different to break up the routine. They want a way to quickly switch things up, refresh their strategy, and approach the next match with a new perspective. This new mode will offer those unique challenges.

He added that he believes this is a positive shift, and he likes how it focuses on the core of the game – your player and how you control them, as well as their interactions with the ball. Without giving away too much detail, the new mode aims to encourage teamwork and passing. Hopefully, this will improve players’ passing accuracy and awareness of their teammates’ positions, ultimately leading to more passing in the main game.

Once the new mode is launched, the Sloclap team will shift its full attention to Season 2 and all the updates planned for the game in 2026. Many of these changes are taking inspiration from Rocket League, a game players frequently compare to Rematch.

Tarno mentioned they’ve begun work on new in-game messages. These will include voice recording features, but those won’t be ready until Season 2. They’re aiming for a communication system that works similarly to the one in Rocket League.

Right now, Rematch only has four quick chat options: Good Job, We Got This, Sorry, and Thank You. Rocket League, on the other hand, has many more – you can even customize which 16 you use. This lets players communicate much more during a match than they can in Rematch. From the start, I’ve thought Rematch should copy this feature, if only to be able to say “Nice Pass” when a teammate sets me up for a goal. The current “Good Job” option isn’t ideal because many players, including myself and others in the community, use it sarcastically to criticize mistakes. Even the Sloclap team uses “Good Job” this way, so they’re aware of how the community interprets it.

Tarno explained they plan to add more direct feedback options in the new communication system, like being able to tell a teammate ‘You Should Have Passed.’ This is because players have been using positive communication lines sarcastically to express criticism, and they want to address that behavior.

Similar to Rocket League, Rematch is planning to add penalties for players who leave matches before they’re over, as well as an option to forfeit a game. According to Tarno, the first update, coming soon, will temporarily prevent players from matchmaking if they leave during a game – aiming to discourage players from quitting when they’re losing but still have a chance to win. Later on, they plan to add a forfeit feature, allowing teams to end a match early if they’re significantly behind, like when losing 3-0 with only a minute left. This would let players collectively decide to stop playing rather than continuing a hopeless game.

Rematch is available for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC.

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2025-10-22 20:42