Pokémon Showdown

Pokémon Showdown
Original authorGuangcong "Zarel" Luo
DevelopersMultiple contributors including "Zarel" and Chris "chaos" Monsanto
Initial releaseOctober 2011
Written innode.js, JavaScript
Operating systemWeb browser, Windows (discontinued)
Available inEnglish, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Turkish, Hindi, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
TypeSimulator
LicenseOpen source
Websitepokemonshowdown.com

Pokémon Showdown is a fan-made simulator created by Guangcong "Zarel" Luo, for the purpose of competitive Pokémon battling using customisable teams of Pokémon. The site was adopted by Smogon University, a fan run community website and internet forum, in 2012, and became the official simulator used by the website and its forums. All Smogon tiers are available with individual competitive ladders on Showdown, with each tier split based on how often a certain species of Pokémon is used. Showdown is hosted as a web application and formerly as a Windows application.

Reception has been generally positive from gaming outlets and fans, though there have been concerns expressed regarding copyright infringement of the Pokémon franchise. The site has also been included in many academic studies focusing on artificial intelligence training.