Rematch Not Working on PC: 7 Simple Fixes for Windows

Rematch is a new online 5v5 soccer game from Sloclap (the makers of Sifu), launching on June 19, 2025. It offers fast-paced matches with no fouls or stoppages, making for an intense experience. However, many PC players have encountered problems where Rematch simply doesn’t work as expected. 

The game might fail to launch, get stuck on a loading screen, or even crash to desktop, preventing players from enjoying the game. These issues can affect anyone trying to play Rematch on a Windows PC, especially right after release, when bugs and server stress are common.

How to fix Rematch not working on PC

If you’re struggling with Rematch not working on your PC, try these solutions in order. We’ll start from the easiest fixes and move to more advanced ones. Each solution has a brief explanation and steps to follow. Work through them until the game is up and running again!

1. Restart Steam and check the Rematch server status

Before diving into complex tweaks, ensure the issue isn’t a simple glitch or a server outage. Restarting the game (and Steam) can clear temporary hiccups, and checking the server status will tell you if the problem is on your end or Rematch’s side.

Steps to follow:

1. Exit Rematch and Steam completely: Close the game if it’s stuck, then right-click the Steam icon in your system tray and choose Exit to shut it down fully. You can also open Task Manager and end any Steam or Rematch processes still running.
   
2. Verify Rematch’s server status: Visit the official Rematch or Sloclap Twitter (X) page or their Discord to see if there are any announcements of server downtime.
   
   You can also check community forums or a site like Downdetector for reports of outages. If servers are down, you may need to wait until they’re fixed.
   
3. Relaunch Steam and Rematch: Open Steam again and click Play on Rematch to try launching the game. A fresh start can resolve many minor launch issues – for example, some players fixed the problem by completely restarting Steam and then Rematch.
   
4. Reboot your PC if needed: If the game still doesn’t open, go ahead and restart your computer. After rebooting, launch Steam and try running Rematch once more.

2. Run the game as an administrator and close background apps

Running Rematch with administrator privileges can help bypass any permission issues that might be blocking it. Additionally, close any unnecessary background programs or overlays that could conflict with the game (or with its anti-cheat). This ensures Rematch has full access to resources and isn’t being interrupted by other software.

Steps to follow:

1. Close background programs: Save your work and exit applications that aren’t needed while gaming.
   
   
   
   In particular, turn off apps with in-game overlays or heavy GPU use (e.g. Discord, OBS, NVIDIA GeForce Experience) as these can sometimes conflict with games. You can press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, then end tasks like screen recorders, GPU tweak utilities, or other game launchers running in the background.
   
2. Run Rematch as an administrator: Locate the Rematch game icon or .exe (if on Steam, find Rematch in your Library, right-click it, and go to Manage > Browse local files to find the .exe). Right-click the Rematch application and select Run as administrator.
   
   
   
   Confirm the UAC prompt if it appears. This gives the game elevated rights to access necessary files.
   
3. Run Steam as an admin (Optional): If running the game alone didn’t help, you can also try closing Steam and re-running Steam itself as an administrator before launching Rematch. Right-click your Steam shortcut and choose Run as administrator, sign in, and start the game.
   
4. Launch the game: With background apps closed and admin mode enabled, try launching Rematch again and see if it gets past the previous point of failure.

3. Update your graphics card drivers

New games like Rematch can crash or not start if your GPU drivers are outdated. Developers often optimize games for the latest drivers, and older driver versions may not support Rematch’s Unreal Engine 5 graphics features. Updating your video card driver to the newest version can fix black screens, crashes, or failure-to-launch issues caused by driver bugs.

Steps to follow:

1. Identify your GPU brand: Determine if you have an NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel graphics card. For example, if you use a gaming laptop, it might have an NVIDIA GeForce GPU; desktops could have NVIDIA GeForce or AMD Radeon, etc.
   
2. Open the GPU software or website: For NVIDIA cards, open the GeForce Experience app (or go to NVIDIA’s driver download page). For AMD Radeon, open AMD Adrenalin software or their driver website. If you have Intel integrated graphics, visit Intel’s Download Center for graphics drivers.
   
3. Check for driver updates: In NVIDIA GeForce Experience or AMD Adrenalin, go to the Drivers section and click “Check for updates”. If you’re using the website approach, enter your GPU model and download the latest driver package available.
   
4. Download and install the latest driver: If an update is found, let the software download it and then click Install (choose an “Express” or “Recommended” installation). Alternatively, run the driver installer you downloaded from the website and follow the prompts. This will update the graphics driver to the newest version.
   
5. Reboot your PC: After the installation completes, restart your computer to ensure the new driver is fully applied.
   
6. Launch Rematch again: Try running the game with the updated drivers. With up-to-date graphics drivers, Rematch should be less likely to crash or freeze during startup.

4. Install the latest Visual C++ redistributables (and DirectX)

One common reason a game won’t launch on PC is missing runtime libraries that the game depends on. Rematch, like many games, requires Microsoft’s Visual C++ redistributables and DirectX 12 support. If these aren’t present or are out-of-date on your system, the game may fail to open with no error message.

Ensuring you have the latest Visual C++ packages and DirectX files can resolve instant crash or no-launch scenarios. In fact, some players reported that installing the Visual C++ runtime and rebooting fixed their Rematch startup issues.

Steps to follow:

1. Download Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables: Go to Microsoft’s official site and download the Visual C++ Redistributable packages. Download the latest supported versions for x64 (64-bit) and x86 (32-bit) – you may need both for different applications. (For convenience, Microsoft often offers a bundle, or you can download each one separately for Visual Studio 2015–2022, which covers most games.)
   
2. Run the installers: Execute the downloaded vc_redist.x64.exe and vc_redist.x86.exe files and follow the prompts to install or repair the Visual C++ runtimes on your PC. This will add any missing C++ library files that Rematch might require.
   
3. Install DirectX (if required): Rematch uses DirectX 12. Windows 10/11 comes with DirectX 12 by default, but if you suspect your DirectX files are corrupted or outdated, you can run the DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer from Microsoft. This will ensure all DirectX 9.0c through 11 components are present (DirectX 12 is updated via Windows Update). Also, check that the file d3d12.dll exists in C:\Windows\System32 (it should, if DirectX 12 is installed).
   
4. Restart your computer: After installing the C++ redistributables (and DirectX, if you did), perform a full reboot of the PC. This makes sure any system changes take effect.
   
5. Launch Rematch: Now, try to open Rematch again. With the necessary runtime libraries in place, the game should be able to start. If it launches, you’ve fixed the issue – if not, proceed to the next solution.

5. Verify the integrity of game files

If Rematch still isn’t working, it might be due to a bad install – perhaps some game files are missing or corrupted. Steam (and other launchers) have a built-in feature to verify the integrity of game files, which will scan the Rematch installation and replace any broken or missing files. This can resolve issues where the game crashes or won’t load certain parts due to corrupted data.

Steps to follow:

1. Open Steam and find Rematch: Launch the Steam client and go to your Library. Locate Rematch in the list of games.
   
2. Open game Properties: Right-click on Rematch and select Properties from the context menu.
   
3. Go to Local Files: In the Properties window, click on the Local Files tab (it may also be called Installed Files in newer Steam versions).
   
4. Run Verify Integrity: Click the button that says Verify Integrity of Game Files. Steam will then start comparing your Rematch files with the official files on the server.
   
5. Wait for the process to finish: This may take a few minutes. If any file is missing or different from what it should be, Steam will re-download that file automatically.
   
6. Launch Rematch again: Once verification is complete (Steam will tell you if files were reacquired), start Rematch. If file corruption was the culprit, the game should now run properly without errors.

6. Temporarily disable your antivirus/firewall

Sometimes, new games can be blocked by antivirus programs or the Windows Firewall due to false positives or strict security settings. Easy Anti-Cheat (which Rematch uses) might also trigger some security software.

If Rematch isn’t launching or is stuck connecting, it could be your antivirus or firewall interfering. Temporarily disabling these protections can help determine if that’s the cause. Just remember to turn them back on afterward and add exceptions for Rematch.

Steps to follow:

1. Turn off real-time antivirus protection: If you use Windows Security (Defender), open the Start menu and type “Windows Security”. Go to Virus & threat protection and click on Manage settings under Virus & threat protection settings. Toggle Real-time protection to Off (you will turn this back on later). For third-party antivirus software, look for an option to pause protection for a short time (many have a right-click tray icon option to disable for 10 minutes, etc.).
   
2. Disable the firewall temporarily: Open Control Panel and go to Windows Defender Firewall (or search firewall & network protection in Settings). Choose your active network (e.g. Private Network) and switch Windows Defender Firewall to Off for now. If you have a third-party firewall, disable it similarly. (Alternatively, you can add Rematch as an allowed app through the firewall instead of turning it off entirely.)
   
3. Launch Rematch: With the antivirus and firewall turned off, try starting Rematch again. If it opens and works correctly now, it indicates that security software was blocking it. In this case, proceed to the next step before re-enabling protection.
   
4. Add Rematch to exceptions: Go back into your antivirus settings and add an exclusion for the Rematch game folder or .exe file (for Windows Security, the option is under Virus & threat protection > Manage settings > Exclusions). Do the same in your firewall: create a rule to allow Rematch (or simply allow it when the Windows Firewall prompt appears on launch). This ensures the game won’t be blocked in the future.
   
5. Turn protection back on: Re-enable your antivirus real-time protection and firewall. Now that Rematch is whitelisted, try running the game again. It should run without being blocked. If the game still doesn’t start even with antivirus/firewall off, then security software wasn’t the issue – remember to keep your protection on as you continue troubleshooting.

7. Flush DNS and reset network settings

If Rematch launches but gets stuck on the loading screen or cannot connect to online matches, the issue may lie with network configuration. Flushing your DNS cache and resetting network settings can resolve weird connectivity problems, especially if you’re seeing errors connecting to Rematch servers.

This is a proven fix for some “infinite loading” or “unknown network error” cases. We will also set your DNS servers to a reliable public DNS (Google’s DNS) to rule out DNS issues.

Steps to follow:

1. Open Command Prompt: Press Win + R, type cmd, and hit Enter. This will open the Command Prompt window.

2. Flush DNS cache: In the Command Prompt, type the following command and press Enter:

ipconfig /flushdns

This clears your DNS resolver cache.

3. Reset Winsock: Next, type this command and press Enter:

netsh winsock reset

This resets network socket settings to the default.

4. Reboot your PC: Restart the computer to apply the network reset.

5. Change DNS settings (optional but recommended): Using a known fast DNS can help with connectivity. Press Win + R again, type ncpa.cpl, and hit Enter to open Network Connections. Right-click your active network adapter (e.g. Ethernet or Wi-Fi) and select Properties. In the list, select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties.

6. Use Google DNS servers: In the IPv4 properties, choose “Use the following DNS server addresses:”. Enter 8.8.8.8 as the Preferred DNS server and 8.8.4.4 as the Alternate DNS server (these are Google’s public DNS addresses). Click OK to save.

7. Restart your modem/router (if possible): It can help to power-cycle your network equipment. Unplug your router’s power for 30 seconds, then plug it back in.

8. Launch Rematch and test: Open Rematch and try to start an online match. With the DNS flushed and set to a reliable server, and your network fresh, you should be able to connect if the issue was network-related. This has resolved the infinite loading screen for many users by fixing DNS and connectivity errors.

If none of the above solutions worked, you might consider reinstalling Rematch completely as a last resort. Uninstall the game, delete its leftover files (in C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Local\Rematch), then download it fresh. This can fix any persistent corruption issues.

Also, keep an eye on official updates or patches from Sloclap – early post-launch updates might address many of these problems. With these steps, hopefully, you’ve got Rematch working on your PC and can get back to scoring goals!

FAQs

1. Why is Rematch not launching on my PC?

Rematch might not launch because your system is missing some required components or due to software conflicts. For example, if you don’t have the proper DirectX 12 or Visual C++ runtime libraries installed, the game can fail to start.

Outdated graphics drivers or even your antivirus could also be blocking the game. Ensuring all drivers are up to date and that you’ve installed the latest Visual C++ packages usually fixes this issue.

2. How do I fix Rematch stuck on the loading screen?

If Rematch is stuck on an endless loading screen, it’s often related to network or server problems. To fix it, try flushing your DNS cache and resetting your network settings, as this can resolve connectivity glitches. Also, check that Rematch isn’t being blocked by your firewall and consider verifying game files or updating drivers – these steps help the game load properly once any network hiccups are resolved.

3. How can I check if Rematch servers are down?

To see if Rematch’s servers are offline, check the official channels. Visit the official Rematch (Sloclap) Twitter/X account or join their Discord to look for any maintenance announcements. You can also use third-party services like Downdetector to find out if other players are reporting server issues. If servers are down, you’ll need to wait until the developers resolve the problem.

4. Why does Rematch keep crashing on PC?

Frequent crashes in Rematch are usually caused by some conflict or outdated software on your PC. Many crash reports from the beta were due to outdated or corrupted drivers (graphics or even audio), causing issues with the Unreal Engine 5 game engine.

To fix this, update your GPU drivers to the latest version and close any background programs that might conflict with the game. If crashes continue, lower your graphics settings (especially if using features like DLSS) and make sure your hardware meets the game’s requirements. With the right updates and settings, Rematch should stop crashing.