Sloclap launched its football action game Rematch today, but crossplay has not been included due to “unforeseen technical complexities”.
Rematch released across PlayStation, Xbox, and PC (Steam), but players are unable to play with others on rival platforms – at least, not yet.
“We understand many of you were looking forward to playing Rematch across platforms from day one,” said the studio in a launch blog post. “We did our utmost to include crossplay at launch, but Rematch is the studio’s first crossplay title, and we faced unforeseen technical complexities which prevented us from having this feature ready in time. We should have communicated as soon as it became apparent that crossplay wouldn’t be available at launch, and we’re sorry for the inconvenience and frustration it caused to some of our players.”
The studio noted it’s “very important for us that our players are able to enjoy Rematch with their friends” and so crossplay is its “absolute highest priority” alongside bug fixes. It’s “committed to delivering this feature swiftly”. A basic working version has already been produced from a technical standpoint, but needs to be debugged and polished before full implementation.
The studio also noted other issues it’s looking to fix, based on feedback from the early access period. These include: performance optimisations to improve stability; preventing server and client desynchronisation; and resolving game-breaking bugs.
Beyond these issues, the studio will be working on broader updates with new content like tournament and leaderboard systems, social features like spectating and (ironically) easier rematches, as well as more casual game modes such as quick play and implementing AI bots to train against.
Sloclap will also tweak the core gameplay, with improvements to the sliding tackle, goalkeeper mechanics, the dribbling system, and wall contacts, among others. “Our general objective is to keep adding depth and granularity to our mechanics, to make the game as interesting as possible in a competitive environment,” the studio said.
“Please remember that we are not a huge team, and that these features take time, so don’t expect all this by the end of the year!” Sloclap concluded. “We will communicate on a more precise roadmap for upcoming seasons as soon as we have better visibility on when we can deliver on these intentions.”
The studio added: “We’re dedicated to making Rematch the outstanding multiplayer football experience you deserve, and we’re committed to communicating regularly and transparently with our community to keep you updated on our progress. Thanks to all players who joined us already for your incredible enthusiasm and support, this is really what motivates us to make this game as great as it can be!”
Eurogamer’s Tom Orry has been playing Rematch and likened it to being transported back to the school playground, stating “the same blinkered overconfidence of school days is here to see in Rematch”.
Rematch has also been added to Xbox Game Pass, for those with a subscription.