Sifu remains one of the most distinctive, dynamic, and slick games of the 2020s, and while there would no doubt be a feverish hunger for a sequel, Sloclap is instead channeling all that expertise into Rematch, a 5v5 multiplayer soccer game. It was certainly a surprise when it was first revealed, but it really works – its betas have been widely played and excitement levels are high. As a regular EA FC player looking for a slightly different soccer experience, Rematch is a game I’m extremely eager to jump into when it launches today in early access, and later this week for the rest of the population. However, at the last minute, Sloclap has publicly announced that a core feature for most multiplayer games will be disappointingly absent – there will be no Rematch crossplay feature at launch.
With that distinctive art style and character design, beautiful arenas that feel fresh compared to the stadia of realistic soccer sims, and a more Rocket League-style approach to EA FC’s Pro Clubs mode with its third-person camera and smaller time sizes, Rematch is set to be one of the best sports games of the year. The acrobatic aerial kicks and zippy passing make for a very satisfying experience on the pitch, and while you could plausibly dribble your way through the opposition, pulling the opposition team apart with some build-up play is your key to success.
While its incredibly popular betas have been tied to single platforms or not included crossplay, I’ve always hoped and assumed that those playing on Steam, Playstation, and Xbox (including Game Pass) would be able to matchmake and squad up. However, just 90 minutes before Rematch is set to launch in early access today, June 16, Sloclap posted on its X account that crossplay would not be available straight away.
“Crossplay between Steam, PlayStation & Xbox won’t be available at launch, but it’s one of our top priorities for upcoming updates!” Sloclap says. “We’ll share an ETA as soon as possible, stay tuned!”
To slightly come to Sloclap’s defense, this has apparently been stated in posts on the game’s Discord server over the past few weeks, where a good chunk of its potential players will reside. It has also never promised on social media, Steam pages, or its website that crossplay would be a feature. However, a high-profile, team-based game of Rematch’s nature not launching with crossplay in this day and age is extremely unusual. Crossplay was once one of those nice-to-have features, but today it is expected of pretty much any co-op or multiplayer game.
I was astounded to learn that Elden Ring Nightreign, despite all of Bandai Namco and FromSoftware’s resources, doesn’t support crossplay – even though it boasts huge playerbases on each individual platform, it’s still a big issue for friend groups spread across PC and consoles. Rematch is now going to suffer from the same problem.
I’m still expecting big player count numbers and an excellent experience on the pitch, but the lack of crossplay is a shame. Hopefully, given Sloclap has acknowledged it as a top priority, we won’t have too long to wait for it.
If you’re looking for a more lifelike experience, here’s our list of the best soccer games, which contains some more realistic sims. You can also check out some of the best Game Pass games that Rematch will be joining when it hits the service on day one later in the week.
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