Sifu developers' take on Rocket League, Rematch, peaks at 133,000 players in open beta

Rematch, the upcoming 5v5 football title from Sifu developer Sloclap, surpassed 133,000 concurrent players on Steam during its open beta weekend - signaling strong early interest in the studio's pivot from martial arts to team-based sports.

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Described by PCGamer as "Rocket League but with feet," Rematch doesn't follow the typical sports game formula. Instead of controlling an entire team, each player takes control of a single athlete, working together in real-time on a small-sided pitch. The result feels closer to Rocket League or Knockout City than traditional football sims like FIFA.

Mechanically, it's more grounded than Rocket League, but the appeal is similar: short matches, tight coordination, and a high skill ceiling. Sloclap refers to it as a "football player simulation," focusing on timing and positioning rather than full match control.

The full game launches on June 19 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, with day-one availability on Xbox Game Pass. Three editions will be available: Standard ($30 USD), Pro (with 72-hour early access and cosmetics), and Elite (which adds further customisation and Captain Pass perks).

The beta, which ran for several days on Steam, closed on Monday. While early testing was made available for free, according to creative director Pierre Tarno, a full free-to-play release was never part of the plan.

"The best way - or maybe actually the only way - to make a commercial success is to just make a very good game," Tarno told PC Gamer.

Following Absolver and Sifu, Rematch marks a clear genre shift for Sloclap. So far, the response suggests the move is landing well.