Crema has announced that it’s soon ending post-launch support for its Pokemon-inspired multiplayer RPG Temtem, so what does the future have in store for the Temtem IP? In an open letter published on its website, the developer has shed some light on that.
Crema has revealed that it’s developing a new game in the Temtem universe codenamed Project Downbelow. It isn’t Temtem 2, and it isn’t Temtem: Swarm, the recently announced bullet hell spinoff that’s being developed in collaboration with GGTech.
This new, unannounced game is being made on a new engine and will feature a new combat system. Crema says it’s using this project as a testbed to build foundations for new ideas that it may want to use in a hypothetical Temtem 2.
“As we look towards the future of the Temtem IP, we have expanded our team to focus some of our development resources on an unannounced, untitled, new game in the Temtem universe,” the developer says. “This project is being developed fully in-house by our dev team, and we’re keeping our aspirations fresh, big and grand. We’re also developing this project on a new engine, so foreign and uncharted territory which is both exciting and scary! This is not Temtem: Swarm, and not Temtem 2. This is Project Downbelow.
“Our intentions for Project Downbelow are to build new foundations and try out new things we would love to see in a hypothetical Temtem 2. By exploring a new combat system, a stronger engine and more things we can’t unveil yet, we hope to learn the proper bases, and have enough preparation and experience to put us closer to the materialization of something as precious to us – and you – as Temtem 2 would be.”
So why exactly is Crema not developing a full-fledged sequel and instead moving to a spinoff? The studio has given a surprisingly frank answer, and said that it simply isn’t as big as it would need to be to develop the kind of ambitious sequel it wants Temtem 2 to be.
“We’re aware of the community’s desire for a Temtem sequel: our communication channels are often filled with questions about a possible Temtem 2, expectations for it, and more,” Crema says. “We hear you! The team has debated on the creation of a sequel for some time, but unfortunately the stakes are high and there aren’t enough resources to achieve what the team would desire the sequel to be, and the sequel you would deserve. After hearing so many opinions on what you’d like a possible Temtem 2 to be; we feel like we shouldn’t rush ourselves and make the same mistakes we’ve made in the past, and even in the present. If we ever were to do this, we’d need to be able to produce a product and flow of content that all of you could enjoy and love to the maximum. Such a product is still out of our grasp and reach: we’re simply not ready. We are, as a studio, too small to embark on the feat we’d like Temtem 2 to be; we don’t currently have the technical knowledge, the time nor the ability to bring those ideas to life.”
Currently, there’s no word on when Crema will be ready to talk more about the new project it is working on.
Crema and GGTech’s aforementioned Temtem: Swarm is in development for PC and consoles, but doesn’t yet have a release date. Meanwhile, Temtem’s final major update will arrive in June, and will also remove all microtransactions.
