Rematch clubs and tournaments are coming, and I can’t wait to get humiliated

Rematch is one of the biggest surprises this year, at least for me, after the sports games’ initial trailers didn’t quite drum up my intrigue. Luckily, Sloclap has a hit on its hands here, following a solid launch with over 1 million players hitting the pitch in just 24 hours of Rematch’s debut. There’s still work to be done, though, including the addition of Rematch clubs – and I can’t wait.

While I haven’t been so hot on FIFA games in the last ten years, one element of them always manages to get plenty of laughs with my friends, and that’s Pro Clubs. The thrill of thrashing other teams with ridiculous uniforms, silly usernames, and outrageous tactics is first-class, and Rematch has a real chance of replicating this fun.

Sloclap confirms in a brand-new launch blog that it is working on this feature: “We are currently designing a tournament system, a leaderboard system for players above Elite ranking, as well as a club creation system, to provide more variety in the competitive experience.” Although specifics will follow at a later date, I reckon that the addition of clubs would be a massive boon for the game’s progression system.

In my Rematch review, I single out the lack of cohesion in daily challenges, which isn’t helped by some confusing UI choices. Since then, Sloclap has deployed two hotfixes, responding to player complaints regarding netcode, desync, and other frustrations. At present, Rematch’s ranked mode is the closest alternative to a tournament system.

What it needs is an experience akin to fellow Steam Deck game and excellent shooter The Finals, which features a casual tournament mode called World Tour. The mode promises exclusive rewards for rising the ranks to Emerald, World Tour’s most coveted badge of honor. Rematch would excel with something like this in the future, and I’d be more than happy to get humiliated on the pitch on the way to potential soccer stardom.

Of course, Rematch’s biggest issue holding it back is crossplay. With the feature missing at launch, Sloclap assures players it is taking the steps to make this a reality. “We already have a basic working version from a technical standpoint, but we need to implement the relevant interfaces before debugging and polishing it, and finally passing console certifications successfully, all this takes time, but we are doing our best to move forward quickly,” the developer adds.

Despite its obstacles to overcome, there’s no doubt that Rematch is one of, if not the best, sports games you’ll play this year. The game’s third-person shooter approach and excellent vibes keep me coming back for more. There’s already a cheeky Rematch sale on right now, so I’ll see you on the pitch.

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