Rematch dev on Rocket League, shooters and esports aspirations: “We’re in contact with a number of organisations”

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The recently launched “Football Game Rematch,” developed by Sloclap, has garnered significant acclaim in just a few short weeks following its release.

In a refreshing twist, Rematch offers a fast-paced, multiplayer soccer game that stands out among giants like EA Sports FC and Football Manager. Despite their long-standing dominance in the genre, Rematch has successfully gathered both football enthusiasts and skeptics onto its virtual fields.

I had a conversation with Pierre Tarno, one of the founders and CEOs at Sloclap, where we discussed their latest project. Interestingly, I learned about how the creators behind the challenging martial arts beat-’em-up Sifu are now working on a football game.

In a recent chat with Pierre Tarno, co-founder and CEO of Sloclap, we delved into their upcoming venture. What’s intriguing is that the team known for crafting the tough martial arts beat-’em-up Sifu are now developing a football game.

Tarno clarifies that there are more commonalities between the two games than might initially seem apparent.

For quite some time now, we’ve been creating third-person action games, often with online features, due to our past experiences at Ubisoft where we worked on series like Ghost Recon. This passion for third-person action games, team-based multiplayer, shooters, and even football, is the root of our continued focus in this genre.

Tarno proposed Rematch to Sifu even before its completion. He humorously mentions that his partners weren’t as excited about the idea as he was at first, since many game developers aren’t particularly fond of football. However, it was a concept he had been thinking about for quite some time.

Much like there are developers who don’t enjoy football, it turns out that Rematch has also appealed to players who aren’t fond of the sport. Tarno attributes this to its impressive presentation and, above all, its seemingly straightforward gameplay mechanics.

He points out that while there aren’t a large number of mechanics, they each have varying degrees of detail. Essentially, the fundamental features are straightforward and easy to grasp, but mastering them requires consideration of factors such as: How long and when are you pressing the input? What specific situations are you using it in? Are you adding curve to the ball or just shooting?

Tarno and his team plan to enhance the current detail by introducing additional levels of precision. This will include refining slide tackle control, disabling ball control in certain situations, and allowing passes to bypass you and reach a teammate located behind.

Instead of saying “The high skill ceiling this mechanical depth allows, combined with the natural spectacle that the game presents, certainly appears to lend itself to esports, something I ask if Tarno is interested in pursuing,” you could rephrase it as: “Given the complexity and potential mastery this game offers, along with its inherent visual appeal, it seems ideal for esports. So, I’m curious if Tarno might be open to exploring that.” This version maintains the original meaning while being more conversational and easy to read.

Absolutely, I concur! The success of the game lies in the hands of its players. As developers, it’s our mission to create an immersive experience that offers depth, challenge, and longevity, encouraging players to invest their time and passion into our creation.

He subsequently verifies that we are connected with several organizations, expressing his desire for our assistance should the players find the game engaging enough to consider it worthy of competitive play.

Regarding esports, Tarno discloses an interesting fact: The team introduced esports athletes who specialize in three distinct games for playtesting Rematch. This unexpectedly yielded some intriguing outcomes.

Even though there were some similarities drawn to EA Sports FC and Rocket League during the playtests, it’s worth noting that the most impressive players hailed predominantly from Call of Duty.

Swiftly mastering the art of Call of Duty, players excel remarkably due to their swift aiming and shooting instincts. Their ability to communicate effectively as a team is exceptional, and many of them share a common interest in football. This affinity for the sport gives them a strong foundation in understanding positional strategies on the field.

As a gaming enthusiast, let me share my thoughts: When it comes to Rematch, Tarno and his team see it differently from your typical football game. Instead, they’ve crafted it as a thrilling third-person shooter experience, which I found intriguing.

As a gamer, I can tell you that this game fundamentally boils down to being a third-person shooting experience. Essentially, it’s an action game where you control a character from behind, engaging in combat by taking aim and firing.

Even though I had already spent around twelve hours playing Rematch before our conversation, it completely transformed my perspective on the game as a whole.

Tarno explains, “We aimed to utilize an outside point of view, not just for a sense of closeness to your character and a personal connection, but also because it provides a level of accuracy when framing our shots which games like EA FIFA don’t offer.

In addition to inviting professional esports players to try out the game, Sloclap has also brought on board one of contemporary football’s most renowned players, Ronaldinho, for their promotional campaign. This news has me feeling quite envious.

Tarno stated that they desired Ronaldinho as an ambassador because he embodies values centered around positivity, fair play, and passion for the sport. Essentially, he’s a perfect representation of ‘the beautiful game,’ emphasizing the importance of maintaining a positive attitude.

Regarding the captivating sport itself, Tarno has a proposed modification to the regulations that he believes could emulate the thrill of Rematch, and this idea revolves around reintroducing an old fan-favorite rule.

In Rematch, when overtime occurs, it follows the golden goal rule, meaning whoever scores first immediately ends the game. However, he acknowledges there are valid arguments for getting rid of this rule.

Yet, he thinks that reviving it might rekindle some of the excitement for football that “Rematch” once offered.

For Tarno, the approach is “extremely intense and dramatically transformative,” and it’s precisely this style of thought that makes Rematch an exhilarating and suspenseful journey.

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2025-07-12 20:34