EA’s FIFA Games Might Be Over, But Rematch Could Step In

Oh man, 1993 feels like yesterday. EA decides to buddy up with FIFA and create this soccer game for Sega Genesis, which they call FIFA International Soccer. And boom! It was like, massive. Like, 500,000 copies flying off the shelves in just four weeks. Nuts, right? Everyone kinda figured it would be big because of the FIFA branding — first of its kind and all that jazz — but this was beyond their wildest dreams.

And so, FIFA International Soccer was just the kickoff to something huge, turning into the legendary FIFA video game series. Seriously, it crushed all the other sports franchises. It was like EA’s golden child, selling over 325 million copies worldwide by the time we hit 2021. However, the fairytale took a twist in 2022 when EA and FIFA didn’t see eye to eye anymore—EA decided to ditch the FIFA license. Yeah, they’re still pumping out soccer games, but under some other name now. FIFA as we knew it? Poof, gone. But apparently, the whole FIFA brand isn’t totally dead. There’s this game Rematch by Sloclap that might pick up those pieces in a new way.

Speaking of Rematch, it’s one of the rare non-EA soccer games that people actually like. Unlike the Sega Genesis days where soccer games were all over the place like confetti, today’s market is sparse. You’ve got a few contenders like Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer, or PES if you’re fancy, but folks aren’t thrilled about its latest brainchild called eFootball. It’s getting a bad rap from fans. And here’s where Rematch, this quirky game by Sloclap, struts in. Known for stuff like Absolver and Sifu, you’d think they’d stick to martial arts, right? But no, they’ve gone all 5v5 arcadey soccer with a pop of color and style, and it’s clicked with players. It hit a million in sales real quick and had over 3 million players by June 25, 2025. Pretty wild ride for a game that just dropped, right?

By the way, Rematch is on Xbox Game Pass, so let’s be real, not everyone playing it actually bought it. But it’s still cool.

And you know what else would be cool? Sloclap doing a little collab with FIFA. I mean, not totally turning Rematch into a FIFA game. But imagine some sweet FIFA-themed cosmetics, like jerseys or whatever. They’ve already dabbled with collaborations, bringing in a Puma set and even a skin of Marc-André ter Stegen. And yeah, some folks might grumble about shelling out cash for more in-game cosmetics. But hey, the EA FIFA games were all about the branding. FIFA is synonymous with soccer — err, football — across Europe. Adding FIFA bling could catapult Rematch to new heights. While we’re in a dry spell for actual FIFA games, a Rematch and FIFA team-up might be the next best thing.