Sloclap has detailed why it decided to move on from Sifu to develop Rematch. When Sloclap first revealed Rematch, it caught many people off guard, especially those hoping for more from Sifu. Creative director Pierre Tarno has now apologized for how the Rematch reveal was handled, saying he regrets that it let fans down, though he stood by the decision to take the studio in a different direction.
The independent video game studio behind Sifu had earned a strong reputation for that 2022 kung fu action title, which was praised by critics and players for its tight combat, narrative, and difficulty. But instead of showing off a Sifu sequel or anything even close to it, Sloclap went a different route at The Game Awards 2024, revealing Rematch, an online multiplayer football game. Launched on June 19, Rematch didn’t take long to gain attention – within 24 hours, more than a million people had joined, giving the studio an impressive start for this new creative direction.
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In a recent interview with GamesRadar+, Pierre Tarno acknowledged that some fans were understandably “disappointed” when Rematch was announced, especially those expecting Sifu 2. He explained that the reveal’s “cold open” created confusion, as the Rematch trailer began with “from the team behind Sifu,” leading many to assume a sequel was coming. Tarno explained this was a communication lapse and said the studio should have been more direct with the Sifu community ahead of the announcement to avoid that reaction.
Sloclap Says for the Moment It was Better to Let Sifu Rest
He also clarified that Sifu was never designed to be a forever game for the studio. Sloclap supported Sifu with updates, content drops, and a full expansion, and eventually felt like it’d done all it could with it. While he didn’t shut the door on coming back to it one day, he explained that right now, it made more sense to “let it rest.” He also touched on a bigger issue in the gaming industry: the expectation that studios must stick with one genre. Sloclap, however, is focused on pursuing the “creative projects” it’s passionate about. And in Tarno’s view, Absolver, Sifu, and Rematch all share common ground – they’re third-person, grounded action titles shaped by the studio’s design approach.
It’s important to highlight that the developers seem to be fully committed to supporting Rematch at this stage. In addition to regular patches, they recently released a roadmap outlining several major features and improvements planned for the coming months. These include crossplay, player reporting, new ranked queues, and various quality-of-life enhancements. The team has stated that adding crossplay is a top priority in their development plans.
Rematch
7/10
- Released
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June 19, 2025
- Developer(s)
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Sloclap
- Publisher(s)
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Sloclap, Kepler Interactive
- Engine
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Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
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