Mini Dev Update #10 - Season 3, S2 Ranked Rewards, and more

Hey everyone!

The next season is just around the corner, and we’ve got a lot in store with patch S3.0 (formerly known as Patch 10).

We’re also introducing a new patch naming system for updates to make things clearer. Going forward, patches will be labeled by the season: S3 stands for Season 3, and .0 means it’s the “base” major patch of that season. Smaller follow-up updates will use incremental numbers, so what used to be Patch 11 will now be called S3.1, which will be the first regular update after the Season 3 launch.

Patch S3.0 is set to go live on March 25th.

Season 2 will end on March 26th, at 13:30 UTC, and Season 3 will kick off the same day at 15:30 UTC!

Patch S3.0

Season 3 marks an important milestone for Rematch. Behind the scenes, we’ve been refining how we work and we are reaching a steady pace. While updates might sometimes feel a bit slower, this has actually helped us build a more solid foundation so we can confidently introduce new features and make meaningful gameplay and system changes.

Speaking of gameplay, we’ve already detailed a lot of changes in the S3.0 patch notes (which will be updated shortly before Season 3 launches) that you can find here. Your feedback from the latest Beta has been invaluable, and while we think we are definitely on the right path, we have to acknowledge that some of these changes are divisive. Our goal has always been to fine-tune the core experience to deliver the best competitive gameplay possible. That means striking a balance between preserving mechanics that add depth, and addressing exploits that create unfair advantages. Here’s a short summary of the major changes:

• Goalkeepers cannot pick the ball up again (with their hands) before an opponent has interacted with it.

• Standing tackles have reduced homing capabilities.

• Defensive stance hitbox reduction, and an increased dash distance.

• Stamina cost reduction when dribbling (L2 + X / LT + A / Left Ctrl + Space) and when initiating a sprint.

• Fixed exploits that were components of the “Vexis Dash” to avoid instances of unnatural ball movement.

• Extra Effort should now be more reactive and less prone to bugs.

• Volley Taps should now have a more consistent power and trajectory.

This isn’t the full list, so we definitely recommend checking out the full patch notes for all the details.

Beyond gameplay, S3.0 also brings new features. We’re introducing periodic challenges to help you progress through the Battle Pass at a steady pace, while also making each play session feel more rewarding.

Another long-awaited feature is the Team-up feature, which allows willing players to squad up immediately at the end of the match at the press of a button. We’ve also reworked the end-of-match screen to display additional and more meaningful information.

Yeah the screenshot is in French, so uh, sorry about that.

And finally, the 1v1 Limited Game Mode is making a comeback from April 3rd to April 13th! We’ve got even more modes in the works, and you can expect new events and gameplay variety coming to Rematch throughout 2026.

New cosmetics

Dropping a new major patch also means dropping new cosmetics! The Art team has once again outdone themselves to introduce new Goal Celebrations, Victory Moods, ARs and more!

Have a look!

Season 2 Ranked Rewards

Shortly before Season 3 releases, we’ll hand out the Season 2 ranked rewards to all players ranked Platinum and above, in either 3v3 or 5v5! The reward this time is a cap, and all eligible players will receive all variations corresponding to their peak rank and under.

As usual, there will also be new avatars, banners and backgrounds to show off your Season 2 accomplishments!

Esports

During Season 2, we started supporting tournament organizers across North America, South America, Europe, and the CIS region. Our goal has been to help grow the competitive scene by giving players more opportunities to compete for higher stakes as Rematch continues to evolve.

So far, we’ve contributed over $12,000 to competitive events—helping boost prize pools and improve overall event production. While Rematch is still early in its esports journey, we want to take a moment to recognize the incredible work the community has put in.

Players, organizers, artists, broadcasters—you’ve all played a huge role in building this scene from the ground up. You’ve planted the seed, and we’re here to help it grow.

We’d also like to give a special shoutout to some of the organizers and teams making it happen:

• Hiroto and the Rematch Federation (LATAM) team, who have been supporting the game since day one and organizing both online and LAN events in South America,

• Petey and the Major Rematch Championship (MRC) team, running regular tournaments and leagues across North America and Europe, while also supporting other organizers,

• Aziz and his team behind The Elite are currently the most prestigious tournament in Europe,

• Devour and the CIS community, Pelmav (former Rematch Federation NA) alongside Andy and Jas who have carried things forward, SpycyNinja (WCRT), alongside many more organizers and contributors we may not have connected with directly but who continue to put in the work week after week to offer everyone a chance to compete. We really appreciate what you do!

We’ll keep working closely with the community to support the competitive scene as much as we can. Our goal is to take things to the next level later this year, with Season 5 currently planned as our first major competitive season.

Server Migration

Back in December 2025, Unity Multiplay, our previous server provider, let us know they’d be shutting down on March 31, 2026. Since then, we’ve been exploring the best alternatives for Rematch, and we’ve chosen to move to AWS GameLift for its improved stability and performance.

The migration is now complete, and AWS GameLift is officially powering our game servers. While experiences can vary, most players should notice an overall improvement in connection quality across all regions.

That said, there is one downside: AWS GameLift currently doesn’t support servers in Turkey. We know this is frustrating news for our Turkish players, and we’re sorry for the impact this may have on your experience. For now, we recommend connecting to European servers to help keep latency as low as possible. We’ll be closely monitoring feedback and looking into any optimizations we can make moving forward.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

There is a lot more to come that we’d like to share with you, including a World Cup event coming in Season 4, as well as future collaborations, but until we are ready to tell you more, we hope you enjoy Season 3. From gameplay improvements, new features, better servers and a growing competitive scene, we know this might sound cheesy, but none of this would be possible without your feedback, passion, and the time you put into the game every day.

While not every change will land perfectly for everyone, we’ll keep listening, iterating, and improving as we go. We know our harshest critics are also our most devoted players, and your voice continues to play a huge role in how Rematch evolves.

We’re excited for you to jump into Season 3, and we’ll see you on the pitch!