Temtem Showdown is a new free-to-play version of the creature-collectathon, without the creature-collecting

Six months ago, MMORPG Temtem introduced a mode that let you jump straight into the game’s 2v2 turn-based battles, ignoring the busywork of quests, creature-catching, and all the other Pokémon-isms. Showdown was the mode's name; something for the animal fight pit lovers in the room, rather than the plain old animal lovers. That mode has now been spun into a free standalone release aptly called Temtem Showdown, out now.

Temtem Showdown is a totally free - and microtransaction-free - download and you don't need a copy of the base game to jump in. You can just hop ahead to the game’s Steam page to get started.

The actual game seems just as unshackled as the price. From the get-go, you’re free to build your dream team of six Temtems without needing to actually catch the creatures from the creature-collectathon. You can then customise every creature's SVs, TVs, and movesets - again, without the need to engage in levelling up and whatnot. Once your ideal party is ready, throw your probably-not-enthusiastic animal friends into ranked battles against other online battlers, competing to move up the skill ladder. Or you can practise and test out strategies against friends.

Temtem Showdown will also have a new Season every couple of months, which I’m guessing will coincide with the base game’s Seasons and balance patches.

For a Pokémon-like, the new standalone game seems to strip out much of what fans love about the series. Namely, the experience of finding, catching, connecting to, and growing with a pocket of colourful creatures. But Temtem Showdown’s willingness to part with those elements might just be a sign of confidence: a “Hey, our combat’s good enough to hold your attention without the extra fluff.” I’m guessing the strategy is to hook newbies in with this free offering, thus encouraging them to step into the full MMO.

“Temtem is a treat for Pokemon fans on PC,” reads our Temtem 1.0 review, “innovating on the formula in meaningful ways while staying close to its roots.” In the months since its full release, the game has only become more like Nintendo’s behemoth with additions such as an official Nuzlocke mode.

The base Temtem game is available for £40/$45/€45 on Steam, meanwhile, Temtem Showdown is a completely free download.