The developer of Sifu and Absolver is making a 5v5 multiplayer-only soccer game

Sloclap, the developer of Absolver and Sifu, unveiled its new project tonight at The Game Awards, and it's a step in a very unexpected direction. Rematch is a futuristic multiplayer soccer game that aims to "capture the essence of football and condense it in short, fast-paced 5v5 matches."

Unlike most soccer sims, which put the player at the center of the action at all times, Rematch is all about teamplay: Each player controls a single character on the field, making teamwork and coordination essential to success. Even the goalkeeper is controlled by a human player, with unique abilities designed specifically for the position: When the team is on offense, for instance, the goalie (that's what we call them in Canada) can move forward to become a midfield defender, so you're not just standing around watching like some kind of latter-day Ken Dryden.

"You are always in full mastery of your character, and that feels really great," Sloclap said during a pre-Game Awards preview presentation. "Even when you don't have the ball, in 5v5 you are always engaged. You cannot drop the pad for even half a second because you'll always have to reposition yourself to serve the action and be where you should be."

Sloclap is aiming to capture the spirit of real-world soccer (although they call it football, as is the European way), but Rematch obviously isn't a true-to-life soccer sim. The 5v5 structure is one obvious giveaway, and there are no fouls or offsides, meaning no breaks in the action. There are also no bots: The game is "built entirely for online multiplayer," where skill (or a lack thereof) is the deciding factor.

"Fundamentally, Rematch is about the joy of playing football with friends, of being together in a team," the studio said. "It’s about putting your team first, and how it can be more satisfying to serve the perfect assist than to actually score oneself."

Visually, Rematch immediately reminds me of Rocket League, an action-focused multiplayer sort-of-soccer game with a well-established player base. But more broadly I think of faux-sports multiplayer games like Rocket Arena, Knockout City, and Rumbleverse, and all the various non-sports live service games that have tried and failed to find space in a very crowded market. And while Rematch takes a different approach to soccer, you also can't discount EA Sports FC, the former FIFA monster, which remains a dominant presence.

Still, there are a lot of soccer fans out there, and this is a different take on the game than most of what's currently out there, so maybe Slocap is onto something. We'll find out next year: Rematch is set to launch in summer 2025 with a competitive 5v5 mode and quickplay options, and will be supported after release with seasonal content including new game modes and cosmetics.