FIFA and Rocket League aren't major Rematch competitors, according to director who says that fans of the football game "don't have an alternative" to play instead

While many games see a huge influx of players at launch followed by a steep drop-off, Rematch is settling into a comfortable rhythm with its concurrent players – a rhythm established in part by the fact its director thinks its fans have nothing else to play.

Speaking to GamesRadar+, Rematch creative director Pierre Tarno says that the game is "seeing very solid retention," which should mean that matchmaking continues to be quick and fair "for a long time." According to player feedback, he says, much of that retention is fueled by the fact that "players who enjoy the game don't have an alternative."

Granted, there are plenty of football games out there – PES, FIFA, EA Sports FC, and Football Manager, to name just a few big hitters. But none of them really lean into the player-focused simulation of Rematch. Previously, Tarno explained that the difference between Rematch and FIFA, for example, is that while FIFA is a tactics-based football simulation, Rematch is a football player simulation that relies on the physicality of its individual avatars.

If Rematch is what players like, Rematch – and only Rematch – is where they're getting it, Tarno explains. And while it's normal for some players to move on, "those who dig the game can play it for a long, long time." Citing his own 1,100-hour playtime, Tarno says that "I'm very far from having gotten tired of it, because I think there's enough depth, both mechanical and tactical, to really maintain interest."

Despite Tarno's suggestion that there's nothing out there that's quite like Rematch, there's one comparison that's been drawn plenty of times – Rocket League. As it happens, however, that's one comparison that Tarno has little time for. "It's very difficult to translate skills that you built in Rocket League to Rematch," he says. Rocket League's top-end gameplay is more about technical ability than Rematch's tactical decision-making, and he claims that "beyond the fact that it's a football bouncing in a cage, the comparison really stops there."

"Chasing safe bets is a death sentence": Rematch devs had no desire to simply chase FIFA or Rocket League, but they spent years planning out their hit football game.