‘Rocket League Without Cars’? Rematch Beta from Sifu Devs Hits 150K Players on Steam

When the concept of Rematch was first announced, the industry did not appear to take it very seriously. The fast-paced sports game appeared to just be a five-on-five version of fast soccer, hence the joke of “Rocket League without cars”. It bills itself as trying to bring an arcade-style that appeals to the masses, even if they are not typically soccer/football fans, while still maintaining competition and strategy. Developer Sloclap, known for its martial arts games, appeared to have created a sport that already exists, but the got the last laugh: the game has exploded in popularity, especially on Steam.

Rematch is currently in its final Beta test, as it barrels towards an official full release. It currently sits at 158,554 users on Steam according to numbers reports by SteamDB, about 20,000 users higher than the previous beta test. While numbers are not available for PlayStation and Xbox, overall, it appears the game is being enjoyed and continues to pull in more and more users, with the chance to increase even further before the beta test ends.

The popularity has actually pushed the servers to their max. On Rematch’s official X account, they address the issue. “We’re closely monitoring matchmaking performance, and we’ve just released a patch on the server-side to decrease matchmaking durations. We are aware of latency issues affecting some players, and we’re looking into it.” Hopefully, this occurrence in the Beta test has prepared the team for the real deal upon release.

Rematch has not just impressed with numbers, though, passing the number of users on the popular EA FC franchise, proving that an indie game can indeed compete and possibly even redefine a genre that has previously been nearly monopolized by a massive conglomerate. Sloclap releases a statement regarding monetization upon the release of the game, as reported by Games Radar.

“Wherever you are, if you like the game, we think you will find amazing value for your money – because there is such replayability, and because there is no other game like it. Rematch is also a game we intend to keep working on for as long as possible: balancing, polishing, adding new game modes, new features, new maps, new outfits… we have plenty of ideas, and we’ll be analyzing all feedback from our community to make sure we’re going in the right direction.”

“The game will also feature in-game monetization,” mainly in the form of buyable Quants used to unlock the Captain Pass, which dishes out extra rewards each seasonal chapter over the free pass, or purchase items in the store, with some being exclusive to Quants and others you can earn with free currency called Blocks.

The devs insist “Rematch follows a structure many players are already familiar with: a low entry price, with optional, fully cosmetic purchases for those who want additional customization options. No pay-to-win, no lootboxes or hidden systems – it’s a transparent approach that we believe is best to support a strong community, in the long term.”

Final Thoughts

Sloclap may be known for action combat games that can have some application to physical sports, but the publisher Kepler Interactive has been in the news a lot already, thanks to the massive popularity of a different game they published, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which is currently in discussions for game of the year. The publishers have previously spoken on making smart business choices that allow games to thrive. Given Rematch’s initial popularity and favorable reviews, perhaps they have again uncovered an unexpected hit that shakes up the genre in which it was developed.

Rematch will be available for full release on June 19, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC.